This mood-boosting split pea lentil soup is a meal in itself and can be complemented with sourdough bread or a raw salad. The great thing about this soup is that you can keep it warm in the Crock-Pot all day so that family members can fill a bowl whenever they wish. It takes about 20 minutes to clean and prep all the ingredients.
Split Pea Lentil Soup
Ingredients
6–8 c. of liquid (bone, chicken, or vegetable broth)
1 c. dried green organic split peas, soaked and rinsed
1 cup of organic red lentils, rinsed
1 c. thickly sliced carrots
1 c. thickly sliced celery
1 medium onion, sliced
2 c. chopped kale
2 cloves garlic, optional
2 marrow bones and 4 organic sausages sliced into 1-inch rounds (for a vegetarian soup, substitute frozen, thawed tofu*)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
*Tofu has a wonderful consistency when it is frozen and thawed. It is like a sponge that absorbs flavors. Freeze tofu, let thaw, and gently press out the excess water— then cube and use as desired in soups and stir-fries.
Directions
- Soak the split peas and the lentils in warm water overnight before cooking in order to reduce the phytates, which inhibit absorption of minerals.
- After soaking, rinse and add the liquid to the broth. Place the soaked peas in the Crock-Pot with 8 cups of broth (as a general rule, use 3 cups of water to each cup of dried lentils or peas). Cook on low heat for 3 hours or until peas are soft.
- Add all the vegetables and sausage (or tofu) and cook for another 1–2 hours.
- Add some salt and crushed rosemary or thyme when the soup is done, top with a little cayenne pepper for some pizzazz and let sit until ready to eat.
Other Good Mood-Boosting Recipes
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