It’s hard to believe Spring is just around the corner. It’s really only how many days away? Seems hard to believe as we sit here freezing in these sub-zero temperatures day after day. What does that mean at my house? A lot of comfort food on the dinner table. A lot of food that feels like a big, warm hug. This is one of the family favourites, easy to put together while scoring big points on the warm and fuzzy scale.
The little blending tip at the end of the recipe is a real gem and puts this dish over the top - you won’t believe just how thick and creamy this soup will get. It tastes even better the next day once the flavours have a chance to develop, so make sure to pack some for lunch.
The Easy Trick To Get Beans Out Of A Can Without All The Goo On The Bottom
Ingredients
2 medium onions
2 tbsp olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1 large sweet potato
2 cans Romano beans
1 1/2 cups small red lentils
1 small- medium can crushed tomatoes
3 litres chicken stock
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dried ground basil
1 tsp dried ground sage
1 tsp dried ground rosemary
2 tsp ground turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Dice onions. Sweat in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, approximately 5-7 minutes, Stir frequently to avoid any sticking or burning. Add all the spices expect salt and pepper. Stir to combine and let them sweat in the onions for about 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir for another 2 minutes until well combined with onions and spices. Add stock. Roughly chop up the garlic. Add in lentils and garlic. Cut sweet potato into 3 pieces and add into the soup. I like to leave the sweet potatoes in large pieces so I can easily pick them out later. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce heat to low-medium to maintain a low simmer. Cook for about 30 mins or until lentils are disintegrated, soup has thickened and the sweet potato is cooked through. Add two cans of beans and let simmer an additional 10 minutes. Remove the sweet potato and about 2 cups of soup. Blend with a hand blender until completely smooth and add back to the soup. Stir to incorporate. This will make your soup extra thick and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
I like to garnish mine with some homemade croutons, chopped green onion, and some sharp cheddar. To make homemade croutons, I take a bun or half loaf of crusty bread and rip it into golf ball size pieces. Then just place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with some oil oil and put under the broiler until crispy, about 2 minutes.
Looking for a couple of other hearty, comforting recipes? Here are two of my favourites:
Italian Style Sausage and Egg Pasta
Sesame Crusted French Toast with Mascarpone Cream and Berries
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