Big Size of Steve's Hearty Lentil Soup (makes about 8 quarts):
You need a LARGE pot ... at least 10 quarts
In general the water should be ~ 4 X the bean volume
measure, less for thicker
A pound of legumes is about 2.5 cups.
adjust any ingredient to your fancy -- experiment
8 cups of
legumes (I usually use 2.5 cups red kidney=1 lb, 5 cups lentils=2 lb, various others
like black, pinto, ...)
24 cups water (6 quarts)
[Boil in the water for
an extra ~1 hour
bigger beans such as red kidney ... these take longer to cook
than the
lentils ...
before adding other smaller legumes]
4+ cups Chopped
onions (pieces do not have to be too small) (about 1+ pounds)
4+ cups Chopped
Carrots (about 1 pound, though 2 pounds is better) ...
(I peel
them, quarter lengthwise, cut perpendicular at 3/8" intervals)
~1/4 cup Snipped parsley or dried parsley
flakes
5
tsp Salt
3
tsp Black pepper
3 Tsp Dried / crushed
oregano
6+ cloves of garlic diced (bottled
minced garlic if you are too lazy but it is not as good)
Cover, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 1 1/4 hours (stir occasionally to keep from burning on the bottom)
Add
2 28 oz cans of diced
tomatoes
10 Tsp wine vinegar (I like
Progresso) (~ 1/2 cup)
2 pounds of
diagonally cut up Kielbasa if desired (I like Hillshire Polish)
Bring again to a boil and simmer an additional 1/2 hour
Season to taste
Although this might not seem thick while it is hot, it will thicken
after it is refrigerated
so adjust the water amount so the soup is the thickness that you
want
it is even better on reheating the next day
I freeze many 1-2 quart containers and pull the next one out after
a couple of weeks break
Again ... adjust any of the ingredients to your preference ...
experiment ...
I think lentils should be a majority of the legumes but add
whatever you like.