Lentil Soup with honey ham

Tis the season of cold weather and soups. I made this soup on the fly and probably spent about $4-5.00 for all of the ingredients used. Serves 10-12.

1 Med- Large Yellow Onion, diced
2 cloves Garlic, diced
1/8 (1/2 stick) butter
2 Bay Leaves
2 carrots, diced small
3 stalks of celery, diced small
1/4 pound of honey ham, diced in small pieces
1-2 Quarts of water depending on amount of lentils
Vege-Buillon, dissolved into water
1 Package of Lentils
Cayenne, Italian Seasonings, Salt and Pepper

Add the onion and garlic to butter, sautee and add carrots and celery.
Add Bay Leaves for flavor
Throw in the ham to flavor the vegetables.
Add Water/Stock/Bullion
Add Lentils
Let cook for at least 30-40 minutes and once the lentils are soft, add the seasonings.
Let cook until Lentils are completely soft.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I think I'm turning this into a soup blog. No, I really need to switch it up a bit. :) I'm not sure how I started making Chicken Noodle soup, which recipe I started with and how it tasted. I know what I like now and make up my own recipes as I go along.

I made some the other night and it went a little something like this:

* 1 medium onion, diced
* 2 stalks celery, diced
* 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
* 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 tablespoon of dried rosemary
* 1/2 tablespoon of dried oregano
* 2 pats of butter
* 4 cups chicken broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
* 3 cup water
* Kosher salt, cayenne and freshly ground black pepper (all optional)
* 1/2 box of noodles, your choice. I chose rotini and shells.
* 2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken ( 4 Breast tenders or 2 breasts) seasoned.
* 1 large regular or Meyer lemon

Let's get started....

Put the onion, celery, garlic, parsley and sautee in butter, cooking vegetables slightly. Add bay leaves and dried herbs to season them. Once those have a head start, add the chicken broth, and water in a medium to large pot. Season with salt, cayenne (if you choose) and pepper, to taste, and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. Simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 5-10 minutes.

Add the noodles and cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes (depending upon the size of the noodles).

Meanwhile I usually season the chicken breasts with lemon pepper and cayenne and fry those whole. Once they are cooked yet tender - I shred the chicken into bit size pieces. Making sure they pull all the seasoning in and are cooked.

Add the chicken and turn off the heat. Let the broth, chicken and noodles combine together. I add in the juice and pulp of one large lemon. I prefer Meyer Lemons, sweet and tangy.






This was one of my favorite soups. Usually I share a couple bottles with family and friends, but I ate this one myself.