Cilantro-Dill Bean and Noodle Soup from Molly MacRae

 

A bean and noodle soup sounds like it might be more suited to cooler or cold weather. But this recipe calls for a ½ cup of fresh dill and I just happened to be looking after a friend’s garden which has an abundance of dill. It gave the soup a sprightly flavor making it a perfectly fine summertime meal. The turmeric gives the soup a lovely color and its flavor works well with the dill. If cilantro isn’t for you, then go ahead and leave it out.   

 

Cilantro-Dill Bean and Noodle Soup

(Adapted from Milk Street Tuesday Nights by Christopher Kimball)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

4 or 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

15 ½-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

¾ cup red lentils (don’t substitute green or brown lentils – they take too long to cook)

1 quart vegetable broth

2 ounces orzo (or linguini broken into 1-inch pieces)

15 ½-ounce can kidney or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

½ cup fresh dill, roughly chopped

 

Directions

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in onion and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is light golden and softened, about 5 minutes). Stir in garlic and turmeric. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the chickpeas, lentils, and broth. Bring to simmer over medium-high. Cover and reduce to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until lentils have broken down, about 15 minutes.

Stir in orzo and kidney beans (or cannellinis) and return to simmer over medium-high. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al dente, 10-14 minutes. Off heat, stir in both herbs. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

 

Look for Molly’s new series—The Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries—coming in July 2024!

Book 1: Come Shell or High Water

 In the meantime, enjoy visiting the Scottish Highlands and the hills and hollows of east Tennessee in Molly's other books - available in libraries and everywhere books are sold.

 

The Boston Globe says Molly MacRae writes “murder with a dose of drollery.” She’s the author of the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries and the Highland Bookshop Mysteries. As Margaret Welch, she writes books for Annie’s Fiction. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and she’s a winner of the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest and connect with her on Twitter  or Instagram.