Monday, January 24, 2011

Spinach and Bean Soup with Egg Noodles

I feel like I start off almost every blog saying, "This is delicious."
I really need to start using my thesaurus more often.
How about, "This is sublime."
It really is.


Spinach and Bean Soup with Egg Noodles
(Adapted from 101 Cookbooks)
((Printable Version))

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 clove minced garlic
1 green serrano chili pepper, diced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cracked pepper
a generous pinch of kosher salt

4 cups low sodium organic vegetable stock
4 cups water

4 oz. lentils
2 cups chic peas
2 cups cannellini beans

12 oz. thin egg noodles
4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup minced cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
juice of 1 lime

Topping:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 -3 large onions thinly sliced
pinch of salt
chopped toasted walnuts

Directions:
1. In a medium sized skillet, start by caramelizing the 2-3 large onions in the butter and olive oil along with a pinch of salt.  Cook them on a medium low heat for about 30 minutes.  Set aside.

2. In a dry skillet, carefully toast the walnuts until you begin to smell them.  Set aside.

3. In a large stock pot, saute the onion and serrano pepper in the olive oil for about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic, cumin, pepper and salt.  Cook for about 30 more seconds.

4. Add the broth and water and bring to a boil.  Add the lentils and simmer, partially covered for about 25 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

5. Add the chopped spinach, the cooked cannellini beans, and chic peas.  Stir in the cilantro, dill, lime juice and egg noodles.


6. Top each bowl of soup with some caramelized onions and a sprinkle of walnuts.

6 comments:

  1. Mmmm...I love making a big pot of soup on Sundays. I'm putting this on the menu for next week. Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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  2. I made this for dinner tonight. Everyone love it! Thanks again

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  3. So glad to hear it! Nobody missed the meat? ;)

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  4. After reading the comments on your soup I can't wait to try this hearty soup.

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  5. I just made this soup and added my noodles uncooked to the soup. They soaked up all the liquid. Should I have added them already cooked?

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    Replies
    1. Yes, add a little more water if you like it thinner. We like our soup really thick- almost like a stew. If you have any leftovers, you will definitely want to add more water the next day to thin it back out.

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