The recipe I'm posting today is my take on a dish British cookbook author Mary Berry makes, called Mushroom, Lentil and Double Potato Jumble. Her version, as seen on the BBC2 series Simple Comforts, is a "tray bake" that features a double potato and creamy cheese topping. My version is in soup format, isn't vegetarian, and omits some of the items Berry includes. Nonetheless, I think the soup is fantastic. It's also easier than Berry's dish. The soup has plenty of ham for flavor as well as sun-dried tomatoes, which I'm convinced really deepen the complexity of the broth and taste of the soup. The soup also includes plenty of other vegetables, making it a hearty meal in a pot. Just add a salad and maybe some bread, and you've got dinner. This is a great soup for "January blahs"! It's low in fat, and packed with fiber and nutrients, and, best of all, it tastes great. So, if you're in need of something nutritious and warming, make the soup soon!
Lentil Jumble Soup -- Makes about 3 quarts
1 tablespoon of canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cups of ham chopped
1-2 cups of shredded carrots (from a package is fine or just chop up some carrots)
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup of green/brown lentils, picked over and rinsed well
8 cups of water
2 tablespoons of reduced sodium chicken "Better Than Bullion" (or use 8 cups of chicken stock instead of the water and Better Than Bullion)
1/3 - 1/2 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
2 1/2 tablespoons of tomato paste (about half a small can)
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/4-1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup of white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute them a few minutes. Add the ham and carrots and continue sauteing until the veggies soften a bit. Add the garlic and saute it with the other ingredients for a minute or so. Add the lentils, water, Better Than Bullion, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring the mixture to a boil, turn down the heat to medium/medium-low, and simmer the mixture for about half an hour. Add the potatoes and wine and continue simmering the soup until the lentils and vegetables are tender--about 30-45 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. The soup will hold up well on the stove on low heat if you need to hold it for people who are late for dinner!
