Question about fixing a bean soup that turned into paste

Was making a big pot of lentil soup a couple weeks back in my tiny kitchen in Phoenix. Left it on low while I went to water the plants. Came back 45 minutes later and the whole thing had turned into a thick paste. Not soup. Not even stew. Just a solid brick of lentils. I tried adding hot water a cup at a time but it just got grainy. Ended up eating it as a weird dip with tortilla chips. Was actually not bad but not what I planned. Anybody else ever ruin a soup like that and find a way to save it without it tasting like wet cardboard?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.aaron17d ago

Yeah Phoenix dry air probably sucked the moisture out faster than you expected. That grainy problem usually happens when you add cold liquid to overcooked lentils, but if you add hot broth slowly and whisk hard it can smooth out okay.

webb.hannah17d ago

Oh man I just read this article yesterday about how the starch molecules in lentils basically explode when they cook too long and turn into glue! That grainy thing you got was probably the starches clumping up when you added cold water too fast. Next time try adding boiling water a little at a time and whisk it like crazy, or thin it out with some broth and blend it smooth with a stick blender before you give up.

corap6117d ago

Honestly, that grainy texture you got from adding water - did you try adding it slowly while blending the soup with an immersion blender, or just stir it in and hope for the best?