Kosher Turkey Val Soup

I tried to wait until we were out of Thanksgiving leftovers, but my new bean collection just calls to me. Instead of waiting, I've decided to combine something old and something new into something tasty. This soup is loosely inspired by the seasonings in white chilli (sans dairy), with the Val dal substituted for navy beans and the addition of seasoned tomatoes because, what the heck, they're in nearly every dal recipe I've ever seen.

• 4 cups chicken or turkey stock
• 2 cups shreaded chicken or turkey (leftovers)
• 2 cups Val dal
• 1 can Italian Seasoned tomatoes
• 1 empty tomato can of water
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Put everything in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 - 3 hours, until beans reach desired tenderness. Be careful not to overboil the soup, or these beans will disintegrate and turn into a gross mush.

Variations:

• Try adding 2 ears of fresh corn
• Try adding one diced red or green bell pepper
• I'm still new to Val dal, but I'm guessing this might be a good crockpot soup. Try dumping all the ingredients into a crockpot set to low before leaving for work in the morning, then serving it up for dinner. If you try this, please email and let me know how the beans turn out.