Tonight is a hearty Lentil Bean Soup made from scratch and cooking at home right now in the crockpot, while I am at work! The weather is supposed to drop into the freezing range and thus we need something to take the chill off. The thing I really like about soup is that you can have it, and warm up some of your left-overs to make a complete meal.

For instance last night we had breaded fried cube steaks, a terrific marinated pasta salad, cabbage, and biscuits. There is one large steak and 5 biscuits leftover, plenty of salad and cabbage too. I shall warm up the biscuits and steak and serve them along side our piping hot bowls of soup, steak biscuits and soup anyone?

Hope ya' all keep warm and toasty the next few days, CCCathy

Now where's the recipe Cathy. I love bean soups.

Cathy, here is one of my best selling lentil soups--
Mulligatawny with Lentils
3 Tabls. good olive oil or peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tabls. minced fresh ginger
1 large onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
3-4 stalks celery chopped
2 Tabls. good curry powder or garam masala (I use Penzey’s Maharaja)
2 teas. salt
1 teas. cardamom
½ Teas. cayenne
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes drained and chopped-save liquid
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 pound brown lentils
1 12oz. can coconut milk
1 bunch fresh spinach or 1 10oz. chopped frozen thawed
1 Tabls. lemon juice
1 Tabls. sugar
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in large stock pot over medium heat, add next five ingredients and sweat for about four minutes, until golden and tender,
Add next four ingredients and cook and stir for one minute.
Add chopped tomatoes and liquid and simmer five minutes, add stock and lentils, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer one hour.
Stir in coconut milk and simmer five minutes. Add lemon juice, sugar and spinach. Stir to bring back up heat for a minute or so. Stir in cilantro or use as garnish on top of each serving.
Makes 12 cups

Enjoy,
Nan

Here is another I just started doing last year. Am posting link since pictures are great.

Lentil Soup with Winter Greens, Cumin & Cilantro « eggs on sunday

I have only had brown and French green lentils when I made it. can see where others would add texture and color. Remember red lentils do not hold up to long cooking, add a nice color, but do mush out.
I added a bit of red pepper to the mix.
Happy Holidays,
Nan

I really should try making that sometime. I love lentils and haven't had them in sooooo long