Yes, you can make old
fashioned bean soup in your
microwave. But to speed things,
use lentils instead of navy beans.
Your soup will have the same fla
vor but will be done in about an
hour.
Lentils (and split peas) are the
smallest and softest legumes, so
they need the shortest soaking and
cooking times. Many microwave
recipes omit soaking for these ten
derest of legumes, but I’ve found
soaking produces lentils that are
tender all the way through. Not
soaking produces lentils with a
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little “bite” or texture. Try
today’s recipes with and without
soaking to see which best suits
your taste.
To soak, cover rinsed lentils or
split peas- with fresh cold water
and let them stand overnight or
about 12 hours. To save time:
Place lentils and water in a large
microwave-safe casserole, cover,
microwave until boiling, and let
stand, covered, 30 minutes.
Cook lentils in the soaking
water for greatest nutrient reten
tion f— especially when using the
quick-soak method. With the
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overnight method, you may want
to drain the lentils and add fresh
cooking water. Draining off the
soaking water drains away car
bohydrate substances that cause
gas to form during digestion.
Cooking time varies. Cook len
tils until completely tender before
adding salt and acid inpedients,
such as tomatoes. For slow
cooked flavor, seasoning ingre
dients such as onion, celery
leaves, and herbs—may be added
at the beginning of cooking.
Today’s recipes give you
choices: to soak, or not soak; to
(bain or not drain; to cook with
cut-up meat or with soup bones.
Any of the options you choose
will produce a hearty and nutri
tious sOup for the cold winter days
ahead.
French Country Lentil Soup
214 cups (1 pound) dried lentils
7 cups hot water, divided
1 pound smoked pork hocks or
small shank-end of smoked ham
2 stalks celery with leaves
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
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{4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 can (16 ounces) cut tomatoes
in tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
14 cup minced fresh parsley
Rinse lentils with cold running
water and discard any stones or
shriveled lentils. If desired, soak
according to directions below.
If possible, cut apart hocks or
cut off large chunks of meat from
ham bone. Separate celery from
leaves; chop leaves and reserve.
Thinly slice celery and reserve.
In a microwave-safe 4- to
S-quart casserole, combine lentils,
5 cups of water, onion, celery
leaves, garlic and thyme. Add
smoked pork hocks or ham bone
and meat, pushing them down into
water. Microwave (High), cov
ered with lid, 35 to 45 minutes,
stirring once, or until lentils and
meat are tender. Cut meat from
bones and return meat to soup.
Add remaining 2 cups water,
sliced celery, carrots and
undrained tomatoes. Re-cover and
2 teaspoons instant chicken
bouillon granules or 2 cubes
2 cups diced smoked ham
1 or 2 stalks celery and leaves,
thinly sliced
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, thinly
sliced
' | Salt and pepper
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microwave (High) 15 to 20
minutes or until vegetables are
tender. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Right before serving,
stir in parsley. May be frozen.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
Note: If desired at end of cook
ing, mash some of the lentils (or
puree in blender or food proces
sor) to thicken soup.
Each serving 1/12 of recipe:
127 calories. lOg protein, 4g fat,
20g carbohydrate, 28Smg sodium,
Bmg cholesterol.
With cooked ham: Cook about
25 to 30 minutes dr until lentils are
tender. Stir in remaining ingre
dients, along with 2 cups diced
smoked ham. Add more season
ings.
For lower sodium; Substitute
chicken pieces or cooked chicken,
following cooked ham variation
(above). Taste and add more herbs
or no-salt seasonings. (Note; Do
not substitute turkey ham for regu
lar pork ham if you’re trying to
reduce sodium both contain
about the same amount of sodium.
Fra* the traditional ham flavor, but
less sodium, try one of the lower
sodium hams available.)
Soaking lentils or split peas -
Cover rinsed lentils or split peas
with about 6 cups fresh cold water
and let them stand overnight or
about 12 hours. Refrigerate (cov
ered) to prevent fermentation if
your kitchen is very warm.
Quick soak: Place lentils and 5
cups water in a microwave-safe 4-
to 5-quart casserole; cover with
lid. Microwave (High) 10 to 12
minutes or until boiling. Let stand,
covered, 30 minutes. (For harder
legumes, such as navy, pea, kid
ney, pink, white or black beans, let
stand in hot water for 1 to 2
hours.)
Split Pea Soup
2 'A cups (1 pound) dried split
peas
8 cups hot water, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
'/> teaspoon dried basil
1 large bay leaf
'A teaspoon dried marjoram
Rinse split peas with running
cold water and discard any stones
or shriveled peas. If desired, soak
according to directions above.
Combine peas, 5 cups of water,
onion, celery, herbs and bouillon
granules in a microwave-safe 4- to
S-quart casserole, Microwave
(High), covered with lid, 30 to 35
minutes, stirring once, until peas
are tender. Add remaining 3 cups
water, ham, celery, carrots and
potatoes. Re-cover and micro
wave (High), covered, 15 to 20
minutes or undl vegetables are
tender. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Remove bay leaf.
Makes 10 to 12 servings.
With bacon: Microwave 8
slices of diced lean bacon in cas
serole; add other ingredients and
continue as above, omitting ham
and chicken bouillon granules.
With smoked pork hocks or
small shank ham: Add 1 pound
smoked pork hocks or ham shank
to split pea mixture, pushing
bones into water. (If possible, first
cut apart hocks or cut off large
chunks of meat from ham bone.)
Microwave (High), covered with
lid, 35 to 45 minutes, stirring
once, 'or until peas and meat are
tender. Cut meat from bones and
add return meat to soup, along
with water and vegetables. Con-