Kosher Chicken Vatana Soup

It was 20 degrees outside and I was in the mood for a thick, hearty, chicken soup. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to experiment with the Vatana Dahl I picked up at Jungle Jim's. If you like light, sipping broths, cut all solid ingredients in half. I prefer dense soups that will fill you up on a cold night. This is a flavorful, colorful soup that helps warm the belly and sustain you for a long night out in the cold. Incidentally, Vatana Dahl is the same as yellow peas (remember Mendel's genetics experiments? These are the peas the west decided they disliked in favor of the common green peas found in the supermarket.)

• 1 cup dry vatana dahl/yellow peas
• 2 fourteen and a half oz cans fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cans water
• 8 oz cooked chicken breast (about 2 small kosher breast halves)
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 ear corn (or 1/2 cup drained canned corn)
• 1.5 tbsp oregano
• 2 tsp minced garlic (or 2 fresh chopped cloves)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Cover the beans with 2 - 3 inches of water and soak overnight. Trust me, you really have to do this. Dry beans stay ubercrunchy if you don't.

The next day, put the broth and 2 cans of water (just refill the broth cans) into a medium saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Add all spices. Drain the soaking water off the beans and add them to the pot. Let boil uncovered for about 45 minutes. You'll boil off about 1 can of water. Don't worry. You're supposed to.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and red pepper and cut the kernels off the corn cob. When the soup has boiled for half an hour, add the onion, pepper, corn, and chicken. Cover and let simmer for another half hour. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add 1/2 cup of water and adjust seasonings to taste.

Points estimate for entire dish: Broth, 0; Water, 0; Vatana Dahl, 4; Chicken, 8; Onion, 1; Corn, 1; Bell Pepper, 0; spices, 0. Total points per serving: 2 (8 side dish servings), 4 (4 meal sized servings).

Variations:

• Add 1 can diced mild green chillies when adding spices to broth
• For a hotter soup, add 1/2 tsp red pepper or a few drops of your favourite hot sauce
• For a stronger base, substitute more broth for the cans of water