Lentil & Black Bean Soup
By
Cynthia Huskins
@newgourmet
1
Ingredients
-
SOAK BLACK BEANS
-
16 oz bagblack beans, rinsed-sorted-soaked
-
THE TRINITY - YUM!
-
2-4celery stalks, chopped or diced
-
1 largeonion, chopped or diced
-
3 largecarrots, julienned - small
-
NOW, FOR THE FUN...
-
splashevoo or sunflower oil
-
1 Tbspcumin
-
1-2 Tbspparsley flakes
-
1-2 Tbspchives, dried
-
64 ozvegetable broth
-
64 ozwater (more as needed)
-
16 oz baglentils, rinsed & sorted
-
1 clong grain brown rice
How to Make Lentil & Black Bean Soup
- START EARLY!!!
Start with the black beans - soak them according to the instructions on the bag. I enjoy the manual prep-work of the trinity, so by the time I'm ready for the beans, they've had more than enough time to soak! - THE TRINITY: Celery, Onion, Carrots
My daughter does not like celery and I'm not so crazy about onion, so I dice those very small so neither of us can tell the difference while we are eating! So, chop them to your preferred sizes! As for the carrots, if you want a "cheat", buy the bag of julienned carrots in the produce section, rinse & go! - In your large stock pot or dutch oven, saute' the celery, onion, and carrots in oil, over medium heat, until onions are clear.
- Add cumin, parsley, chives. (You'll notice I do not add salt/pepper while cooking. We add this at the table as desired.)
- Add broth & water. Bring to boil.
- Add lentils & black beans.
- Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer all day, stirring occasionally.
- An hour or so before serving, cook the rice, separately, according to instructions. When tender, add to soup. (I do this to preserve the soup broth & ensure my rice is tender enough!)
- Allow to soup to cook/simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Serve with cornbread, toast or crackers. I have one child who eats it (& everything else) with sour cream, one who eats it with shredded cheese, and another who eats it with salsa! My husband likes a little bit of spice, so he adds jalapeno peppers - to avoid adding salt!
Typically, I do not like left-overs; however, THIS IS GREAT the next day!!! If it is too thick, add more broth & heat over medium for 20 or so minutes and you're set! Delicious!