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Harvest Vegetable & Lentil Soup

Turn that little pantry starter into a warm, practical meal.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 425
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Soup
  • ¼ cup dry lentils rinsed and picked over
  • ¼ cup dehydrated carrots
  • ¼ cup dehydrated celery
  • 2 tablespoons dehydrated onions
  • 2 tablespoons dehydrated peas
  • 2 tablespoons dehydrated spinach
  • 2 tablespoons dehydrated potatoes
  • 3½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • Black pepper optional
Optional
  • ½ cup cooked shredded chicken

Equipment

  • 1 2 Qt Mini Crockpot

Method
 

Prepare the Lentils
  1. Rinse the dry lentils and check them for any small stones or debris.
  2. No soaking is necessary.
Add Everything to the Slow Cooker
  1. Place the lentils, dehydrated carrots, celery, onions, peas, spinach, and potatoes into a 1–2 quart slow cooker.
  2. Add the broth, garlic powder, salt, and optional pepper.
  3. Stir gently.
Cook
  1. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3½ hours.
  2. The lentils should be tender and the vegetables rehydrated.
  3. Your particular dehydrated vegetables may require a little more or less time, but 3½ hours worked well in my mini-crock.
Add the Chicken
  1. If using cooked chicken, stir in ½ cup shredded chicken during the last 30–45 minutes of cooking.
  2. Because the chicken is already cooked, it only needs to heat through and absorb some of the soup's flavor.
Check the Consistency
  1. When finished, check the soup.
  2. If it seems thicker than you prefer, stir in a little additional broth or water.
  3. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Serve
  1. Ladle into two bowls and serve hot.
  2. Each serving should be approximately 2 cups.

Notes

Rotisserie chicken is an especially convenient choice.
About the Seasonings
I deliberately left thyme out of this version.
My first test batch included thyme, and I found that even the small amount I used overwhelmed the other flavors—especially the chicken.
The second batch was much better without it.
That's one of the advantages of making your own meal starters: you can adjust the recipe to suit your own kitchen and your own taste.
Kitchen Confidence
Don't be afraid of the dehydrated vegetables.
They may look rather unimpressive when they first go into the slow cooker.
That's okay.
As they absorb the broth, they change considerably.
In testing this recipe, the carrots, celery, onions, peas, and potatoes all returned to recognizable shapes without becoming gummy.
The spinach behaved differently. It essentially disappeared into the soup.
That's not a problem. It simply becomes part of the broth rather than remaining as visible pieces.
The color may be different, too.
Dehydrated vegetables don't necessarily return to the bright colors of fresh vegetables. The finished soup can look more muted than a soup made with fresh produce.
The flavor and texture are what matter most.
If you'd like a little fresh color when serving, add some chopped parsley or green onion.