The Cresco ladies were at my house a couple of weeks ago delivering Halloween fabric and dropping of quilt tops and goodies. Sandra had a big box of dried beans and asked if I’d use it. SURE…I use a lot of dried beans around here.
In the box were lots of beans…LOTS…including lentils.
It’s been a long time since I’ve made Lentil Soup, too long. So I grabbed out my cookbook… This Betty Crocker book. This is actually my second book. I got my original as a wedding present from my cousin Charlotte and I wore it out. I found a copy on Amazon. Here’s a link.
When I find copies at the thrift store I buy them all and pass them on to my kids. It’s a favorite book of mine and as a new bride, I tried MANY of these recipes.
Here is the recipe…
Here’s how it supposed to look…
Of course, there were Instant Pots when this recipe came to be so I needed a little tweaking to make it Instant Pot friendly.
I put all of the called for ingredients in my Instant Pot. Admittedly, I didn’t have whole tomatoes so I took one 15 oz can of tomato sauce and one 15 oz can of stewed tomatoes instead. It’s a forgiving recipe so it will be okay. I also used minced garlic over fresh…again it’s what I had. I did add some Tajin too.
I had this bag that was half full and needed to be used so I threw that in instead of actual bacon.
I put the lid on and hit “multigrain” for 35 minutes.
The soup looked good when I opened it but all of the moisture had soaked into the lentils so I added two cups of water and Chicken flavored “better than bullion”.
It was so good…Yes. I’m eating it in my comfort food bowl. Don’t the flowers around the edge make even lentil soup look good.
I had a blog reader ask about my bowls. They are Pioneer Woman bowls from Walmart. They are called Pasta bowls and I love them.
The soup is really good. Karl and I enjoyed it along with some corn chips.
Does anyone have other good bean recipes? I have quite a few in my arsenal of recipes but I am always looking for new good ones. Obviously, I have lots of beans to experiment with…
THANKS, SANDY for the beans. I love a good challenge to use something up!!
The lentils look delicious! I am sure they are as good as they look. I still haven’t used an instant pot but it seems like you use it much and the food always looks so yummy.
My friend shared this one for crockpot refried beans.
Place 3 cups dry pinto beans in crock pot.
Add 9 cups warm water.
Add 5 chicken bouillon cubes,
1 tsp garlic powder,
2 tsp salt(i omit salt!!!).
Place half of a yellow onion on top(peeled but leave whole). Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until beans are mushy.
After cooked, remove onion and drain, reserving the liquid. Add 1/4 cup melted butter and 1 cup milk. Mash beans . You can use an immersion blender. I just mash with an old fashion potato masher. You can omit milk if you need lactose free. Add in extra reserved fluid. Make them a little loose as they firm up as they cool.
This must make a huge amount! Do you freeze them?
I like my mother’s recipe for pinto beans with green chiles and tomatoes. The recipe linked below is very close, but I always use 2 lb of pinto beans instead of the 1 lb shown. All the other measurements are the same as my recipe – just double the beans. Adding ground beef is optional; I usually do. But I’ve sometimes put the cooked beef in a separate serving bowl next to the soup pot, so non-vegetarians can add it to their soup bowls.
https://www.cooks.com/recipe/c26d741s/arizona-bean-pot.html
This makes a LOT but really good for a crowd and leftovers.
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chalupa-dinner-bowl
This is also a favorite although it can get pricey. Makes a lot too.
https://www.panningtheglobe.com/slow-cooker-brazilian-feijoada/
A friend from the South got us hooked on a delicious version of black eyed peas with sausage and ham shanks. Happy to email it to you if you like. She originally got it as a recipe for red beans to go with rice so you can use whatever beans you like I imagine. It cooks in a slow cooker, but you can obviously flip that to Instant Pot if you like.
I’d love the recipe Robby.
I made lentils tonight too…lol. Very similar recipe but mine didn’t have bacon….I may have to add that although I’m watching my salt and fat content. I forget to check out my Betty Crocker book….I love it but haven’t looked at it lately. I made this recipe a couple of weeks ago and the family loved it. Used cannellini beans but you could use great northern beans too. https://www.cookingclassy.com/bean-soup/
Crazy Cindy, I made that same soup a couple weeks ago. I had some spinach that needed to be used, hence the soup~
My first pot of lentil soup was awful. After a taste, we agreed we’d never eat it and down the drain it went. Then I found a recipe using hot sausage, which totally changed the flavor. I also make a spicy black bean soup with smoked turkey or ham.
That soup looks amazing, Jo!! I just happen to have a bag of lentils in my pantry. I think it might be time to give your recipe a try. Thanks for sharing!
My favorite Instant Pot Refried Beans recipe:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/instant-pot-refried-beans-4140600?utm_campaign=shareurlbuttons&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest
This looks good! Trying to understand how the Instant Pot works and how to adjust recipes to the Instant Pot. Why did you choose “multigrain” instead of “soup/broth”?
Mine doesn’t have a soup/broth setting. I’m sure it would work.
The soup/broth setting I am referring to is on the top left side in the photo.
We enjoy bean soup and have it pretty often, and I especially like to use things up in them—scrap soup! Wouldn’t have thought of the bacon bits, but I bet it was a good substitute. Ina Garten has two recipes online for lentil soup, one just vegetable and one with sausage, both are delicious. I don’t usually have leeks but if I do they are a lovely addition.
Your vegetarian daughter might like this recipe…
Lentil Loaf
2 cups lentils – cooked
1 cup walnuts – chopped
1 cup milk (can make vegan by making walnut milk (1 cup walnuts & 1 cup water and blend)
2 eggs (leave out if making vegan)
3 Tbsp brewers yeast
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder
3 Tbsp dried onion
3 cups corn flakes (or rice crispies)
May add chopped water chestnuts, chopped celery, carrots, or whatever else you think might be good.
Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes
I made chicken chili last night for dinner: I used leftover chicken (cooked in the IP) and added chicken broth, celery, onion, cumin, Sazon, and two cans of great northern beans. Yummy!
I make a lot of soups. Since my constant pot they cant be any easier. I add beans to all my soups. Dry beans, black, navy, pinto, kidney whatever I precook/partially cook in my instant pot with enough water to cover the amount I am using. 20 mins, high pressure, quick release. I do drain the water out of the beans. I then prep my soup, add the beans back in and cook for about 15-18 mins. You can use the feature buttons, but I usually just hit manual and add my time. Lentils I just add with the soup ingredients and don’t precook those.
Jo, I made you lentil soup recipe. Prior to this, I thought lentil soup was bland. This is delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Jo, I received a different copy of this book before I got married in 1967; my beloved Aunt Ruth gave my Mom the same issue for Christmas. I cooked with it for decades! My aunt died in 1998. My Mom died in 1998 and I discovered that her issue was not as worn, and she had annotated the recipes she liked best, making it a family treasure! A short while later, I realized that my paternal grandmother cooked regularly with the 1950 version, and I added her copy to my collection. I recently bought the newest edition, with some easier recipes, and some that reflected newer nutrition trends. Each edition of the Betty Crocker cookbook has variations so I find that I use all three. Both of my daughters use them too, and I suspect that when I am no longer here, these treasured cookbooks will be divided up between them…