Ugly Lentil Soup

It’s cold and blustery outside, which always puts me in the mood for soup. I didn’t have a particular soup in mind so I took a quick inventory of my freezer, fridge, and pantry. I had plenty of homemade chicken stock in the freezer, dried lentils in the pantry, and kielbasa and carrots in the fridge. An hour later we were sitting down to a hearty bowl of liquid love. It certainly wasn’t the most attractive soup out there, but what it lacked in looks, it more than made up in flavor!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my go-to 6-quart stockpot https://amzn.to/2Q4Ev4d

• the very best vegetable peeler ever! https://amzn.to/2E0qoq9

• santoku knife https://amzn.to/2SgB86I

• my favorite soup ladle https://amzn.to/3uEB4UT

• dried French lentils https://amzn.to/3oF6mXU

---

Ugly Lentil and Vegetable Soup

makes 6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil

• 1 medium onion, 1/4-inch dice

• 1 medium carrot, 1/4-inch dice

• 1 pound kielbasa, 1/4-inch dice

• 4 cups chicken stock (try my homemade)

• 2 cups water

• 1 1/4 cups dried lentils

• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté onions and carrots until onions are translucent.

2. Add diced kielbasa and continue sautéing, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

3. Add chicken stock, water, and dried lentils; bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer and cover for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender.

4. If soup is too thick, stir in a little more water; taste carefully and season with salt and pepper if needed.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

When I was a kid and someone in the family got sick, homemade chicken soup was the go-to remedy. I don’t know why it worked so well, but it did and I’ve continued that tradition by feeding it to my own family at the first sign of any illness. So, last week, when my son unexpectedly came home with a sore throat and deep cough, I immediately started making a batch of my homemade chicken noodle soup. When I realized I was out of noodles, I added wild rice instead. It was a nice variation and I’m happy to report his cold immediately started to go away, and even better, it didn’t spread to anyone else in the house. I’m convinced the magic to this soup is the homemade chicken stock. Here’s to healing what ales you.

For this recipe you’ll need about 3 cups of cooked wild rice.

On a side note, check it out - this company uses a kind of velcro instead of a pesky zipper-top so their bags can be resealed easily. I wish every company would do the same. Big shout out to LUNDBERG FAMILY FARMS!

Ok, back to the recipe. Cook your wild rice according to the package directions, OR cook it even faster in an electric pressure cooker (instant pot). Here’s how.

Place 1 cup of wild rice in the pressure cooker.

Add 1 quart (4 cups) of chicken stock (I used my own homemade chicken stock, but you could use store bought stock, or even plain water).

My stock was unsalted so I added 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Be careful not to add too much salt if you use store bought chicken stock.

Set the cooker to manual, pressure cook, or high pressure for 15 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes.

Voila!

To assemble the soup - place the wild rice in a 5 or 6-quart stockpot.

Add the chopped or shredded chicken.

Add the frozen mixed vegetables.

And add more homemade chicken stock. Heat through and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• electric pressure cooker https://amzn.to/2Dm00pu

• 6-quart stockpot https://amzn.to/2TaTkQl

• wild rice blend https://amzn.to/33dODzg

---

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

makes 2 quarts

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked wild rice (directions below)

• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken

• 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables

• 4 cups chicken stock

• kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

1. place all ingredients in a 6-quart stockpot and heat thoroughly. Taste carefully and adjust salt and pepper if needed.

Notes

• To cook wild rice in a pressure cooker (instant pot), place 1 cup dry wild rice in pressure cooker with 4 cups water or chicken stock, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt (omit if using store-bought stock). Cook on manual, pressure cook, or high pressure for 15 minutes and allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.

• Alternatively, cook according to package instructions.

More Soup Recipes: