A Simple Pot of Soup

Soup is the “Grand Old USA” of the food world. In fact, soup, rather than apple pie, should hold the coveted place of honor as our national food for the simple reason that it best reflects who we are. After all, apple pie is exclusive, a club meant only for apples–and certain types of apples at that. Soup, on the other hand, is all smiles and outstretched arms. It lifts the heart as it makes room for every sort of vegetable, grain, legume, animal food, and even many fruits. Maybe that’s why it’s such a comfort. Soup is inclusive. It has a generosity and openness that make us feel warm and safe and nourished. Soup also has the good-natured virtue of being loved by children. What better way to raise our spirits when they sag than with a bowlful of this sort of consolation and love?

Some people think of soup as dinner food, but I eat soup at any time of the day and, in fact, reheated soup makes a wonderful breakfast. Yet certain soups are better during specific seasons of the year. Thick bean soup, for example, is rich and filling, and most welcome in the cold of autumn or winter–while a light broth refreshes and cools in warmer months. No matter when or how we serve it, soup is probably the very best way I know of coaxing good, nourishing food into unsuspecting mouths.

A Simple Pot of Soup
That You Can Make With Any Lentil, Pea or Bean

Serves 4-6

There is no trick to making homemade soup. Anyone can do it and it’s so easy that once you learn how, you will abandon cans and soup mixes forever. Why base a recipe around lentils, peas and beans? Because a soup like this is full of nutrition, basic and uncomplicated, well loved in its many variations and, with a slice of crusty whole grain bread, a meal in itself. What’s encouraging is that with a single master recipe and some basic techniques, you’ll be able to make a wide array of soups to suit any mood or season. In fact, once you have the technique down, you’ll hardly need a recipe at all. Don’t be dismayed if your first pot of soup isn’t perfect; nothing ever is. But then that’s not the standard we should aspire to. Is it good tasting? Did it nourish you well? Was it fun and easy to make? These are the questions worth asking.

Master Ingredient List

• 2 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced into 1/4″ pieces
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 carrot, cut lengthwise into quarters, and then cut crossways into 1/4″ pieces
• 2 ribs celery, diced into 1/4″ pieces
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped well
• herbs, spices, water and additional ingredients as detailed below
• 1-1/2 cups beans, soaked for at least 6 hours in plenty of cool water (if necessary; see below)
• 1 piece kombu, optional
• fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• chopped fresh parsley or basil, optional

Specifications By Bean Type

These are basic variations for making one delicious pot of soup. There are countless ways to experiment and embellish these variations further. Yet, even if you stick to basics and leave out the extra ingredients, your soup will still be delicious.

• French, green or black beluga lentils: Cooking water: 6 cups. Cooking time: about 35-40 minutes. Possibilities: add 1 bay leaf and a sprig of fresh thyme to the soup when you add the lentils. It can also be nice to add 1-2 cups chopped spinach or green Swiss chard in the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. These greens need only enough time to wilt. Soaking lentils is optional, though I always soak mine before adding them to the soup pot.
• Red lentils: Cooking water: 7 cups. Cooking time: about 45 minutes. Possibilities: add 1/2 teaspoon each dried thyme, basil and oregano when you saute the onion. Red lentil soup can also be delicious with 1-2 cups chopped spinach or green Swiss chard added (see lentils above). Red lentils should not be soaked.
• Green split peas: Cooking water: 8-9 cups. Cooking time : about 2 to 2-1/2 hours–during which you can put your feet up and read a good book or accomplish about half a dozen tasks, so no worries about the time! Possibilities: add 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds when you saute the onion. Add 1 bay leaf and 1/2 pound peeled, diced sweet potatoes when you add the split peas. If you’re feeling adventurous, add 1/2 pound unpeeled blue potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes. Consider replacing 1/2 cup of split peas with 1/4 cup barley and 1/4 cup dried baby lima beans. It’s best to soak barley, lima beans and split peas, and you can combine them in the same soaking bowl.
• Cannelini, navy or great northern beans: Cooking water: 8 cups. Cooking time: about 1 hour. Possibilities: add a sprig each of fresh thyme and rosemary, as well as a bay leaf, when you add the beans. You can also add a 2″-3″ piece of fresh parmesan cheese rind if you like. If you don’t plan to make a thick puree, white beans pair well with blanched kale or escarole added 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking (see Q&A below). It’s nice to finish this soup with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese. White beans require soaking.
• Black beans: Cooking water: 7 cups. Cooking time: as with green split peas, about 2-1/2 hours. Possibilities: add 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme and 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano when you saute the onion. If you like some gentle heat, also add 1/2 finely chopped and seeded jalapeno pepper at this time. Add 1 bay leaf when you add the beans. Finishing this soup with chopped parsley leaves or cilantro can add a splash of  color. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice will brighten the soup as well. Black beans require soaking.
• Mung beans: Cooking water: 7-8 cups. Cooking time: about 45 minutes to an hour. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, these homey beans are thought to stimulate detoxification and they’re one of the most cherished foods in India’s Ayurveda. Possibilities: add a sprig of fresh thyme when you add the beans. As with lentils, you may also want to add 1-2 cups chopped spinach or green Swiss chard toward the end of cooking. Finishing the soup with chopped parsley will also enhance the color of the soup. I always soak mung beans, but it is optional as they are easy to digest.

Master Recipe

This master recipe was inspired by one I learned at the Natural Gourmet Institute. It’s easy to follow and gives beautifully consistent results.

Step One: Butter or Oil. In a heavy soup pot, warm the butter or olive oil over a medium-low heat. Adding this small amount of high-quality fat will help capture the essence of your soup, carrying its aroma and personality throughout.

Step Two: Onions and Sea Salt. Add the diced onion, which will be the foundation of your soup, and the sea salt, which will help draw out its flavors. I suggest coarse sea salt because it’s less expensive, but fine sea salt will work just as well–simply use a little less of it. If you take your time and caramelize the onion slowly, cooking it gently until the pieces become translucent and then brown, your soup will have a round and robust flavor. You can use this knowledge to affect the intensity of your soup, cooking the onion for less time to achieve a more delicate result.

Step Three: Carrots, Celery and Any Dried Herbs. Here you have a choice to make. You can add the carrots and celery to your soup shortly after you begin cooking the onion. A longer cooking time will result in a more potent flavor. Or you can add them to the pot just before the onion is finished cooking, and warm them for just a few minutes before adding the water. Again, it depends on how intensely flavored you want your soup to be. This is also the step in which you will add the chopped garlic and most dried herbs, if you are using them.

Step Four: Beans, Kombu and Water. Once the onions and vegetables are cooked to your liking, add the beans (discard the soaking liquid), kombu and water to the pot. Then bring the soup to a boil, skim and discard any white foam that appears, lower the heat and simmer the soup partly covered until it is ready. If, toward the end of cooking, you have more liquid than you’d like, you can uncover the soup while it cooks to allow for evaporation and a deeper concentration of flavors.

Step Five: Tasting the Soup. As you approach the end of cooking, start tasting the soup to see if it’s ready. The sign you are looking for is tender lentils, beans or peas. Since cooking times depend on both the type and age of the bean you use, there is no firm rule. A taste will tell.

Step Six: Finishing the Soup: When your soup is ready, remove and discard the kombu and fresh herb stems if you used them. Also, discard the bay leaf, unless you want to follow our family tradition: whoever finds the “lucky leaf” in his or her bowl gets a kiss and lots of good luck!
Now taste the soup to decide what else it may need; this is best determined when the soup is not too hot so you may want to turn off the heat and let it sit uncovered for a few minutes. If you made the soup with white or black beans, do you want to puree some or all of them? The easiest way to do this is with an immersion, or stick, blender Just put it into the pot and puree the soup until you achieve the texture you desire. If you are using a regular blender, be sure the soup has cooled somewhat, and leave the center hole of the lid open during blending so the contents doesn’t explode. If you are not going to puree your soup, would it benefit from the addition of chopped, fresh greens? If so, stir them into warm soup and allow them five minutes or so to wilt. No matter how you finish the soup, remember to check the seasoning. You will likely need to add fine sea salt (don’t add coarse sea salt here; it’s too easy to over salt the soup as it takes time to break down). Keep in mind that you don’t want the taste of salt in the finished soup–just enough to brighten the flavors and that’s it. How about freshly ground pepper, a squeeze of fresh lemon or chopped fresh herbs? Any of these can enliven a soup and finish it beautifully.

Questions Answered

Where can I buy some of the less familiar ingredients like beluga lentils, mung beans, or kombu? My favorite source is Goldmine Natural Foods. You can order by phone at 800-475-3663 or online at www.goldminenaturalfood.com. They have a wonderful selection and service you will appreciate. Kombu is also available at most healthy food stores.

How do I wash, sort and soak beans? Before you cook them, all beans need a good rinse. It works best to put them in a bowl full of water and swish. Then pour off the water and repeat until the discarded water runs clear. After you wash the beans, you’ll need to sort them by putting them on a plate or tray–or simply sifting through them with your hands–and discarding any that are cracked. Also, look for small stones, bean wannabes that will try to work their way into your cooking. You will need to discard these as well. Because beans contain “phytic acid,” most need to be soaked after washing. Phytic acid binds with minerals and makes them unavailable to you, though it is reduced or eliminated by soaking. This immersion in water also makes beans more digestible, which means less gas forming. To soak, simply put beans in a bowlful of cold water and let them sit for 6 to 24 hours. Your goal is for them to be generally softened. If you find beans uncomfortable to digest, a longer soak will help. If the day comes when you find yourself cooking bean soup on short notice, there’s a quick-soak method that will rescue you. After washing and sorting, put the beans in a pot and cover them with 3″ to 4″ of water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the beans for five minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 1 to 2 hours. Then discard the soaking water and proceed with the recipe.

Why use kombu? Kombu is a mineral-rich sea vegetable that won’t change the flavor of your souop; it will simply make it more nutritious by adding minerals like iodine. There’s no need to wash or wipe the kombu. Simply place one piece, about 4″-6″ long, into the soup pot. You can buy kombu at most any healthy food store, though all the soups are perfectly wonderful without it if you don’t have it on hand.

Why does it matter what size I cut the vegetables? The size of your vegetables affects how quickly they cook. If your vegetables are of a similar heft–carrots and celery, for example–and they’re different sizes, some will be overcooked while others are undercooked. The best way to ensure optimum flavor and texture is to cut similar vegetables into approximately the same size.

How do I blanch kale or escarole? To blanche any vegetable, plunge it into boiling salted water, bring the water back to a boil as fast as possible, boil for a few minutes–just until the color comes up and the vegetable is slightly tender–and then drain the cooking water and run very cold fresh water over it to preserve the color and texture. Then proceed with the recipe.

How do I use an immersion blender? Using an immersion blender is my favorite, and perhaps the easiest, way to puree a soup. Set it upright in a pot of soup, turn it on and move it around, avoiding the surface so that it doesn’t splatter.

Copyright 2010, Ellen Arian, Ellen’s Food & Soul