Lentil and Split Pea Soup
This lentil and split pea soup is super flavorful and very nutritious. It's easy to customize to your tastes. It calls for kale. But, if you don't like kale you can substitute any sturdy leafy green you like such as mustard greens, swiss chard, collard greens, etc. You can use any salty, fatty meat you like in this recipe. I personally like using kielbasa, but you could use ham, bacon, or some other kind of sausage.
Lentils, split peas, and kale are excellent sources of fiber! Each serving of this soup has about 6 grams of fiber. Lentils are also a great source of protein. Using kielbasa, this soup has about 12.5 grams of protein per serving. Did you know that lentils have been cultivated for food for at least 8,000 years? Isn't that crazy? I love food history, I think it's fascinating. To learn more about the history of lentils, check out this article from npr.org: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99054419
This soup keeps well in the fridge and it freezes well, so it's perfect for meal prepping! Great for lunch or dinner (I guess it'd be good for breakfast too... if you're a weirdo). This soup is naturally gluten-free (make sure all of your ingredients are certified gluten-free if the person you're cooking for has gluten issues) and optionally dairy-free with one simple substitution! It's also nut-free, and egg-free (as long as your meat, butter substitute, and stock don't contain any, double-check)! So this is a great allergy-friendly recipe, and you won't miss any of those things.
You could pair this soup with a sandwich. Maybe made with my gluten-free bread? https://www.mapletaffyandlousytomatoes.com/recipes/gluten-free-vegan-sandwich-bread/ Or you could serve this with some kind of roll. Maybe one of my gluten-free dairy-free English muffins! https://www.mapletaffyandlousytomatoes.com/recipes/gluten-free-dairy-free-english-muffins/
Whether you decide to enjoy this lentil and split pea soup with a side or on its own, I'm sure you'll love it. This is my mother's current favorite soup!
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup diced kielbasa, ham, smoked sausage, or bacon (any salty, fatty meat you like will work)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 large onion
- 5 stalks celery
- 1 tbsp butter (or vegan butter substitute)
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (ground or crushed in a mortar and pestle, ideally)
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (more if you want it spicier)
- 5 1/2 cup chicken broth (or equivalent amount of water and bullion)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup green split peas (soaked for 5-12 hours)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup red lentils (can substitute green lentils)
- 2 cup chopped kale
- 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
Instructions
- A few hours before you make this take the 1/3 cup of split peas and soak them in cool water.
- Roughly chop the celery and onions and dice whatever meat you chose.
Add the butter, diced meat, onion, celery, coriander, fennel seeds, rosemary, thyme, pepper, red pepper flakes and paprika to a medium/large pot and turn on medium-high heat. Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Drain the split peas you started soaking earlier. Add the drained peas, chicken stock, salt, Worcestershire sauce, and nutritional yeast to the pot. Bring it to a simmer and cook at a simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. - Add the half cup of lentils to the pot and cook 10 minutes. While it cooks roughly chop the kale or your substituted greens. Also, peel and mince the garlic.
After the 10 minutes add the greens and garlic. Cook an additional 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy!