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Soup And Pulses...

Tip On Buying Pulses:

Pulses come in numerous shapes, sizes and colours. Generally, when buying dried pulse products, look for bright colour, uniform size and smooth skins without chips or shrivelled seed coats. Dry product sometime contains foreign material such as small pebbles and bits of soil. Therefore, it is necessary to rinse and sort pulses before cooking.

Lentils, peas, beans and chickpeas can be found in most supermarkets, health food stores and ethnic food speciality stores. They are available in bulk, packaged in plastic bags and canned. Pulses canned with a minimum of ingredients can conveniently be drained, rinsed and added to recipes calling for precooked product.
Note:A (540 mL/19 oz.) can of beans or chickpeas drained is approximately equivalent to 2 cups (500 mL) of cooked beans or chickpeas.

Easy on the pocket book, pulses provide nutritious versatile meals at a low cost.

Fresh vegetables added during cooking give the soup made from this mix a delicious flavour. The dry mix keeps indefinitely at room temperature.

1 cup	white pea beans	250 ml
½ cup	pinto beans	125 ml
1 cup	small pasta bows	250 ml
2 tbsp	dried parsley flakes	25 ml
1 tbsp	chicken bouillon	15 ml
2 tsp	dried rosemary leaves	10 ml
1 tsp	dried basil leaves	5 ml
	dash salt
½ tsp	garlic powder	2 ml
1/4 tsp	crushed red pepper	1 ml

Make up batches to give as gifts from your kitchen.
Put beans into a 3 cup (750 ml) jar with tight fitting lid. Put pasta into a small plastic bag. Tie with ribbon. Place on top of beans. Combine remaining ingredients in a second small plastic bag and place in jar with beans and pasta or tie onto jar.

Recipe: (to attach to gift jars)
Place beans in large saucepan and cover with 3 cups (750 ml) water. Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let soak for 1 hour. Drain. Add 8 cups water. 1 can (28 oz/796 ml) tomatoes, the seasonings and 1 cup (250 ml) each coarsely chopped carrot, celery, and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 2 hours or until beans are tender but still firm. Uncover, increase heat to medium-low and boil gently for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally until soup has thickened slightly. Stir in pasta. Increase heat to medium and cook about 10 minutes longer or until pasta is tender. Makes 12 cups (3 L) soup.

(Per 1 cup serving: 139 calories, 7.6 g protein, .7 g fat, 27 g carbohydrate, 4.9 g dietary fiber, 255 mg sodium, 572 mg potassium).

Curried Pea Soup

1 cup	whole or split peas	250 ml
3 cups	water	750 ml
2 tbsp	butter	25 ml
2 - 3 tsp	curry powder	10 - 15 ml
2 cups	water	500 ml
1	large onion, finely chopped	1
1	can (14 oz/398 ml) tomatoes	1
1	stalk celery, finely chopped	1
1/4 tsp	pepper	1 ml
	salt to taste

In medium saucepan, combine peas and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook peas for 30 minutes. Drain any excess water. In separate large saucepan, melt butter. Add curry powder and brown, 1 to 2 minutes. To this mixture, add 2 cups water, cooked peas, tomatoes, onion, celery, pepper and salt to taste. Cook covered 1 ½ hours over low heat or until peas are tender. Add more water if mixture becomes too thick. Makes 6 servings.

(Per serving: 153 calories, 7.3 g protein, 4.7 g fat, 22 g carbohydrate, 3.5 g dietary fiber, 160 mg sodium, 502 mg potassium.)

Winter Soup

½ cup	whole or split peas	125 ml
½ cup	red kidney beans	125 ml
½ cup	green lentils	125 ml
½ cup	white pea beans	125 ml
2 quarts	water	2 L
1	smoked ham bone	1
1½ cups	chopped onion	375 ml
2	cloves garlic, minced	2
1 cup	finely chopped carrots	250 ml
1 cup	finely chopped celery	250 ml
2 tbsp	chicken bouillon	25 ml
2 tsp	sugar	10 ml
1	bay leaf	1
2	whole cloves	2
1 tsp	dried savory, crumbled	5 ml
1 tsp	dried thyme, crumbled	5 ml
½ tsp	salt (optional)	2 ml
1/4 tsp	pepper	1 ml

Combine peas, beans and lentils. Rinse well. Place in large stock pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain. Return to stock pot with remaining ingredients and the 2 quarts (2 L) water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until beans are tender, about 2½ to 3 hours. Remove bay leaf, cloves, and ham bone. Cut meat from bone and return to the soup. Heat through. Makes 10 servings

(Per serving: 156 calories, 11 g protein, 1.2 g fat, 26 g carbohydrate, 5 g dietary fiber, 451 mg sodium, 555 mg potassium). NOTE: Analysis based on 1 cup of lean shopped ham.

Easy Lentil Soup

2 cups	green lentils	500 ml
10 cups	water	2.5 L
1	ham bone	1
	or
1 cup	lean chopped ham	250 ml
1	large onion, chopped	1
3 tbsp	butter	45 ml
	salt and pepper to taste

Combine first 3 ingredients in large saucepan. Simmer over low heat for 2 - 4 hours (longer cooking gives smoother consistency). In separate saucepan sauté onion in butter until soft. Add to lentil mixture during the last hour of cooking. Makes 8 cups (2 L).

(Per 1½ cup serving: 231 calories, 17 g protein, 5.8 g fat, 30 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g dietary fiber, 272 mg sodium, 527 mg potassium). NOTE: Analysis based on 1 cup of lean chopped ham.

Lemon Lentil Soup

6	slices bacon	6
3	carrots, sliced	3
2	stalks celery, sliced	2
1	onion, chopped	1
1	clove garlic, minced	1
1½ cups	green lentils	375 ml
7 cups	chicken bouillon	1.75 L
1 tsp	grated lemon rind	5 ml
1	bay leaf	1
½ cup	chopped fresh parsley	125 ml
2 tbsp	lemon juice	25 ml
1 tsp	cumin	5 ml

In large saucepan, fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel and let cool. Crumble and set aside. Discard all but 2 tbsp (25 ml) bacon fat in pan. Add next 4 ingredients. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Rinse lentils and add to pan. Stir in chicken stock, lemon rind and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes or until lentils are tender. Remove bay leaf. Stir in bacon, parsley, lemon juice and cumin. Taste and adjust seasonings. Makes 6 servings.

(Per serving: 298 calories, 18 g protein, 9.5 g fat, 37 g carbohydrate, 6.8 g dietary fiber, 1892 mg sodium, 745 mg potassium). NOTE: Analysis based on chicken bouillon cubes.

Lentil Soup

1 tbsp	vegetable oil	15 ml
1	medium onion, chopped	1
2	cloves garlic, minced	2
1	medium carrot, sliced	1
1	red pepper, diced	1
1/4 tsp	cayenne pepper	1 ml
1/4 tsp	white pepper	1 ml
4 cups	chicken bouillon	1 L
1	can (20 oz/796 ml) tomatoes	1
1 cup	lentils	250 ml

Pour vegetable oil into large saucepan. Sauté onion over low heat until soft. Add garlic, carrot and red pepper. Stir until coated with oil and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add cayenne, white pepper, bouillon, tomatoes and lentils. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Serve with light sour cream or yogurt. Accompany with a good loaf of Irish Soda Bread. Makes 4 hearty servings.

(Per serving: 292 calories, 18 g protein, 5.7 g fat, 46 g carbohydrate, 8.4 g dietary fiber, 1848 mg sodium, 1110 mg potassium). NOTE: Analysis based on chicken bouillon cubes.

German Lentil Soup

2 cups	green lentils	500 g
8 cups	water	2 L
6	slices bacon, cut into 1" (2.5 cm) pieces	6
1	leek, white part only, finely chopped	1
1	parsnip, scraped and finely chopped	1
1	celery stalk, finely chopped	1
2 tbsp	butter	25 ml
½ cup	finely chopped onions	125 ml
2 tbsp	flour	25 ml
2 tbsp	cider vinegar	25 ml
2	frankfurters, thinly sliced	2
	salt and pepper to taste

In large saucepan, combine lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Add bacon, leek, carrot, parsnip and celery. Return to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. In second saucepan, melt butter. Sauté onions until soft. Sprinkle flour over top and cook, stirring constantly until flour turns a golden brown. Ladle about ½ cup (125 ml) of the lentil soup mixture into the browned onion mixture and whisk until the mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in the vinegar. Then scrape contents back into lentils and stir together thoroughly. Cover the saucepan and simmer over low heat for another 30 minutes or until lentils are tender but not mushy. Before serving, add frankfurters and simmer 1 to 2 minutes to heat through. Season with salt and pepper. Makes 6 serving.

(Per serving: 441 calories, 23 g protein, 19 g fat, 45 g carbohydrate, 8 g dietary fiber, 385 mg sodium, 772 mg potassium).

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Soup And Pulses...

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