I’ve really been craving a lot of warm, hearty foods lately. I can’t imagine why – it’s been so lovely out. Anyway, one of my favorite foods of this variety is lentil soup. Mostly because it is a vehicle for crusty bread but also because it is healthy (I think, I really can’t back that up – but it sounds right) and delicious. My friend, Christine, makes the most amazing lentil soup I have ever had. This soup recipe is not as good as hers – but it is a bit less labor-intensive and quite tasty if I do say so myself. The thing about lentils is that they aren’t so easy on your digestive system – which is why they make you so gassy. You, not me – I don’t fart. Supposedly, if you cook or soak them for a really long time they are easier to digest. So, I thought soaking them overnight and cooking them in a crock pot all day should do the trick. I looked on the world wide web to figure out a basic fluid:lentil ratio for slow-cooking and here is what I came up with:
- 2 Cups dried lentils (soaked overnight)
- 4 cloves garlic (at least) – minced
- 1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
- 3 carrots – chopped
- 2 boxes low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 onion – chopped
Instructions:
- Throw all ingredients in slow cooker (I do not know what size – whatever size the one in the picture appears to be…)
- Set to low and let cook all day
- Season with salt and pepper to taste
- Take your immersion blender and immersion blend the shit out of all that action
- Serve with very large slices of crusty bread
Upon further review, I think you could use a little less fluid to avoid the overflowage in the crock pot. I mean, it wasn’t THAT serious of an overflow but, it could be averted. Also, parmesan cheese never hurt anybody. Let me know what you think!
