Super Healthy Fava Bean and Lentil Soup Recipe

Update! (04/11/2011)

So I just made soup again and let me tell you, it came out even better than before. This is what I did differently. Everything is in addition to the recipe below unless mentioned.

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So my little sister was down here on spring break and I wanted to send something back with up with her to Berkley. She is graduating in May, and is going right back to school to be a Dr. (Proud of you sis!)

I decided to try my hand at making some super healthy Fava Bean and Lentil soup. This is how it went down.

This recipe doesn’t use any added salt and is low sodium for anyone watching their intake. Add or remove ingredients as you wish, the recipe is forgiving.

Ingredients:

– 1 Large bag of Brown Fava Beans(like 1.5 lbs)
– 1 Large bag of Green Lentils (like 1.5 lbs)
– 3 Spicy Sausages Chopped
– 1/2 cup of Basmati rice
– 2 Large brown onions
– 3 Whole Garlic
– Fresh Ginger
– 1/4 Stick of butter
– 3-6 Chicken Drumsticks
– Olive Oil
– 4 Carrots
– 6 Celery Sticks
– 5 Green Onions
– 3 Tomatoes coarsely chopped
– 2 Green Bell Peppers
– 1 Red Bell Pepper
– 2 Spicy green peppers (your choice)
– Fideos
– Black Pepper
– Rosemary
– Thyme
– Red Pepper
– Oregano
– Whatever other spices you want

– A big pot
– A blender(You can also smash some of the beans if you dont have this)

– Whiskey(To drink while you cook) =)

Prep:

– Soak the Brown Fava beans in water for at least 8 hours.

Start:

1. Throw the butter into your pot, med heat, until it melts.

2. Throw drum sticks in pot with the butter until they brown a bit on all sides. Remove the skin on the drumsticks and return to pot.

3. Finely cut your ginger(amount to taste) and coarsely chop your 2 onions, garlic’s, Bell Peppers, Spicy Peppers and Green onions. Add all these to the pot with a little olive oil along with the sausages. Cook for like 10 minutes.

4. Rinse then pour your Fava beans in the pot, fill with water until the beans are covered. Bring to a simmer.

5. Chop up your celery(de husk them) tomatoes and carrots, throw them into the pot.

6. Add all your seasonings(No salt, this hardens the outside of the beans, add at the end if you want)

7. Simmer on low for 3 hours. Add water as needed.

8. Add red lentils, cut “Fideos” browned in butter, and rice. Add water as needed, bring up to heat and simmer for 45 minutes.

9. Remove the chicken bones. I fished around for them with the ladle, not to hard. If any meat hasn’t fallen off the bone, make it fall off the bone with a knife or fingers =) and put the meat back into the pot. Throw the bones away.

10. This is per desired texture. I ladled out half of the beans soup and blended it , returning the blender mixture back to the pot.

11, Serve! Adding some fresh squeezed lemon juice and\or salt to taste.

* I filled up a large Tupperware with half the soup and froze it overnight for the trip back up to Berkley with the sister.

Here are a few pics of the process:

Chicken, garlic and onions ready to go in.

Onions and Celery chopped.

Ready to blend

Sources:

A few phone calls with Dad. =)