Have you ever heard of pulse foods? I happen to get really excited about these powerhouse foods. I love everything about creating healthier dishes and this one turned out magnificent! Yes you could say I am a bit of a food nerd sometimes…?.
If you’re curious, pulses are dried peas, dried beans, dried chick peas and lentils. These are certainly not the most sexiest of food groups to get excited about but I have always loved dishes made with pulse foods. Most people, I have to admit, get a bit more excited about cheesy and gooey entrees such as pizza, but hey, no judging ok!
I have several reasons why you should be just as excited about pulses as I am. First off, they’re good for you. Like seriously good for you!
- They are good for your heart!
- They help lower your risk for diabetics and they’re super high in protein.
- This past week I learned that pulses can aid in weight and belly fat loss…
- and reduce your risk for certain types of cancer. Pretty cool huh!
The nutritional benefits are endless. They’re loaded with folate, iron, potassium, fiber and as mentioned above, protein. As a runner, I am espeically excited about the protein level in this soup, plus this is just as delicious without meat! Each serving has about 10 grams of plant based protein so if you’re working on eating less meat, you’ll love this recipe!
In fact, it is probably one of my favorite soups I have made thus far!
“So have I convinced you to eat more pulse foods yet?” I’d love to hear all about your own beloved pea, bean, and lentil recipes and plant based favorites in the comments below. Until next time, eat your beans!
FRENCH CANADIAN YELLOW PEA SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups dried while yellow peas
- 4 quarts cold water for soaking
- 4 to 6 cups of bone broth or water
- 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery including leaves, if desired
- 2 to 3 large carrots chopped
- 1/2 cup of fresh parsley or 2 tablespoon dried
- 1 teaspoon of ground all spice
- 1/2 pound of ham hock (optional- I didn’t use)
- 1/4 cup barley uncooked
- 1/4 cup wild rice uncooked
DIRECTIONS:
- Pick peas over. Put peas in a large container and add enough water to cover peas by several inches and soak over night. Drain soaking water.
- Set Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil. Add vegetables and herbs and sauté for about 10 minutes or until tender but not brown. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add peas, rice, and barley to Instant Pot plus the bone broth or water.
- Switch Instant Pot to Slow Cook and set on high for 4 hours.
- If using meat, remove ham bones and chop finely. Return meat to pot. (I kept it vegetarian.)
[reminder]I am excited to hear if you’ve experimented with Pulse Foods! Are you a fan? [/reminder]
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