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The Unmanly Chef

Brown Lentil Soup

Brown Lentil Soup
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup of lentils
  • 3 or 4 cups of water
  • 1 Cup of Pasta Water * optional I was making some egg fettucine and I threw in the excess water rather than straining the pasta (see laziness) and it added a great flavor to the soup.* You can use chicken or vegetable broth instead
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1 tsp. Pesto if you don't have pesto on you, use a mixture of thyme, rosemary, and a little bit of basil
  • *Optional* Rotisserie chicken wing tips
  • *Optional *Rotisserie chicken skin
  • *Optional* Chicken juice underneath the rotisserie container
  • *If you don't have the chicken parts I suggest sauteeing a half cup of diced onions with a few crushed cloves of garlic in some olive oil. Then add your peas to them*

Method
 

  1. Pour lentils into a pot.
  2. Add water and salt. Bring heat up to medium high.
  3. Heat lentils and stir, then add skin and wing tips. Cook for another 15 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low.
  4. Then add your chicken juice.
  5. Cook for another 15 minutes.
  6. Scoop out all the loose chicken parts.
  7. Now add your pesto and pasta water
  8. Continue to cook for another 15 minutes the lentils will break down and become creamy.
  9. Stir to avoid the lentils sticking to the bottom.
  10. Cook on low until the soup is creamy and smooth. You want to make sure you don't under cook the lentils, since you're making a soup you can't really overcook this. If you want the soup to be ultra creamy, pour the soup (in batches) into a blender.
  11. Enjoy with a nice piece of crusty bread, or freeze the soup for later, it keeps well in the freezer for a few months at minimum.