Tummy filling Hamburger Soup

We did this as a demonstration soup at the NBEX on Tuesday. It's a delicious, basic soup that is very flexible in terms of ingredients. Use what you have on hand, take the opportunity to clean out those dribs and drabs in the fridge.  We use lentils in it, along with soaked dried beans, to make the meat go farther. Lentils are an excellent source of protein and iron and really do go well in meat dishes. 

Feel free to experiment with this recipe. It has a hundred different variations. Check the "tips" section at the bottom for some ideas on how to make this your own favourite comfort food. 



Ingredients: 

2 Tbsp oil

1 lb (450 g) lean ground beef (or use a combination of ground beef and ground pork)

1 medium onion chopped, about 1 cup

2 stalks celery –finely chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic – or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (not salt)

1 bay leaf

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 can (796 ml—28 oz) diced tomatoes — can also use fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded

1 cup of tomato sauce or puree

1/4 cup dried green lentils (can also use red)

3-1/2  cup beef stock  (cube/stock pot/ boxed is fine)

1 tsp dried oregano or Italian seasoning, or basil. Alternatively, you can use fresh

Salt to taste

Other additions you might enjoy:

Mushrooms

Pasta (cook separately, put in bowl and top with hot soup)

Rice  or barley 

Diced green, red, yellow or orange sweet peppers. 

Shredded zucchini -- add at the end

Shredded cabbage

Barley

Parmesan cheese rind (for flavour — remove before serving) 

Dried shitake mushrooms (for flavour — remove before serving)

Directions:

1. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Break up ground beef and scramble fry until it is brown. Drain any excess fat and liquids.

2. Add celery, onion, carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic.

3. Add lentils, bay leaf, pinch of red pepper flakes, tomato sauce (or puree), canned tomatoes including liquid and beef broth. If using dried herbs and spices, add them now.

4. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cover. Cook on a low heat until everything is tender. Depending on the ingredients and their size, this could be 20 minutes to 45 minutes.

5. If using fresh herbs, add them now. Stir and taste. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

6. Serve with garlic bread, warmed rolls or topped with Parmesan cheese.







Tips:

• Cook a small pasta like macaroni, stars, alphabets, orzo in a separate pot and add hot soup on top. This keeps the pasta from getting mushy if there's leftovers
• Finely slice fresh spinach leaves and put into the bowl. Top with hot soup. The heat will wilt the spinach without it getting slimy. Also means that the soup will keep better in the fridge

 

 

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup

Red Lentils  are a kitchen staple around Our Greener Kitchen. They cook up quickly without needing any presoaking and they blend in with lots of other ingredients. This soup is hearty enough to serve for a dinner meal along side a tossed salad and a nice crusty roll. The sweet potato and carrots adds a touch of natural sweetness without the use of refined sugar. Additionally, the high fibre content of these ingredients helps stabalize blood sugars.

Ingredients

• 1 kg sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 cups dried red lentils
• 6 cups vegetable stock or 6 cups water
• 796 ml can tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked green or brown lentils, about 1 cup raw.
• 1 teaspoon salt
• fresh ground pepper  

Directions

1.    Heat olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add onion and garlic.

2.    Cook 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and slightly caramelized.

3.    Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the cooked green lentils. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cover. Simmer the soup for about 30-40 minutes, until the red lentils and sweet potatoes are tender.

4.    Remove 2 cups of soup from the pot and set aside. Puree the soup by using a stick blender or in small batches in a regular blender. Return the puree to the pot, add set aside “chunky” soup and add the cooked green or brown lentils.

5.    Adjust seasonings and serve.