Lentil–Spinach Soup and Red Bean–Andouille Soup
Two Main-Dish Legume Soup Recipes – from Syria and the Southern US
Oct 3, 2008
Lentil Soup with Spinach
Yield: 8 servings
This recipe is a favorite in Syria and Lebanon. Lentils are wonderful in soups because they don’t require soaking overnight like other dry beans. Swiss chard may be used instead of spinach.
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and drained
- 8 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 5 ounces spinach leaves, washed and coarsely chopped
- 1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- In a large pot, cook the lentils in salted water until they are tender, but still intact.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the onions in olive oil until they are golden, about __ minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cilantro and continue cooking two minutes longer.
- Add the onion mixture into the lentils. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer until the spinach is wilted.
Serve hot.
Red Bean & Andouille Sausage Soup
Yield: 6-8 servings
Soaking dry beans overnight is preferable to using canned beans two ways: Dry beans are cheaper. Soaking and thoroughly rinsing the beans leaches out the stachyose, verbascose and raffinose, the gas-causing sugars. Never use the soaking liquid to cook the beans. That defeats the purpose of rinsing.
Andouille sausage pegs this recipe as coming from New Orleans. Kielbasa or another smoked sausage can be substituted for andouille.
- 1 pound dry red beans
- ~1/2 pound ham hock or ham bone
- 4 cups hot chicken broth
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 can (10 ounce) diced tomatoes with green chilies
- 1 tsp Tabasco (or other good hot sauce)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 pound Andouille sausage, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 1 red or green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- Cooked rice or cornbread for serving
- Soak the beans overnight with a teaspoon of baking soda stirred into the soaking water. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Discard the soaking water!
- In a large pot or crockpot, add the ham bone, beans, hot broth and water, tomatoes, hot and Worcestershire sauces. Bring to a boil, reduce the flame and simmer, uncovered. (If using a crockpot, use on 3 cups each water and broth.)
- In a large skillet sauté the sausage, onion, carrot, celery, garlic and bell pepper (if using) until soft. Add to the bean pot.
- Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add the bay leaves and continue cooking until the beans are soft and creamy, about 3 to 4 hours.
- Remove the by leaves and ham bone (leaving any meat in the pot) before serving.
- To serve, you can either put rice or cornbread in each serving bowl and ladel the soup over the top. Pass the hot sauce for the hotheads at your table.
If this whets your appetite for hearty soups and stews, check out these recipes, including:
- Cowboy Chili with Steak
- Belgian Beef Stew
- Boeuf Bourguignon - Beef Burgundy
- African Chicken and Peanut Soup
- Cheddar and Ale Soup
- Hoppin' John Chili with Black-Eyed Peas
- Pumpkin Apple Soup
- Broccoli and Toasted Hazelnut Soup au Gratin
- Bavarian Pilsner-Onion Soup
- Oregon Sharp Cheddar and Ale Soup
- Cioppino to Die For
- Turkey Minestra (from leftover roast turkey)
- Cream of Chicken with Wild Mushrooms (from leftover cooked chicken)
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