Recipe: Bean and Split-Pea Chowder with Chicken

BEAN AND SPLIT-PEA CHOWDER WITH CHICKEN

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 (15.5-ounce) can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup each: yellow split peas and lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 cup pearl barley
8 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth, plus additional broth, if needed
1 large bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup cooked and diced skinless chicken breast

Heat a large, heavy pan or Dutch oven over high heat. Add canola oil; reduce heat to medium. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, parsley, garlic, cilantro and thyme. Saute, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, until onion is translucent and pale-gold.

Add beans, split peas, lentils, barley, broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour, until lentils, peas and barley are tender. (If mixture becomes too dry, add more broth or water, about 1/2 cup at a time, until chowder resembles a thick soup.)

Add chicken, and simmer until heated through. Check the seasoning, and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Makes 8 servings
Source: The New American Plate Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Weight and a Healthy Life by American Institute for Cancer Research