Photo: Kelly Rossiter/CC BY 2.0
My husband and I just spent a weekend up north and it was mighty cold where we were. All I could think about was making a hearty soup, so as soon as I got home, that's just what I did. I've decided that this fall I'm going to rely more heavily than usual on my pantry rather than shop specifically for recipe ingredients. It's all part of my personal campaign to de-clutter my life, keep only what I need and use what I have.
What could be more in keeping with this attitude that a big pot of soup made with lentils, tomatoes that I canned myself, and carrots from my mother's garden? There is nothing fancy here, just a healthy, easy, delicious soup. I would have added some kale from the garden, but that's for dinner. You can use any kind of lentils you like here. I used green lentils, but you could also use brown or red lentils, which both cook faster than green. I kept the water to a minimum, because I wanted a chunky soup, but feel free to add more. I had a heel of stale bread so I made croutons by sauteeing a bit of garlic in olive oil and then adding the cut bread and cooking it until the bread was golden. I did add some Parmesan cheese for the garnish, but other than that, this soup is vegan.
Lentil Soup with Tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 1 celery stock, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 cup lentils, picked over carefully and rinsed 1 can tomatoes, including liquid 4 cups water or vegetable stock Salt and pepper to taste Croutons for garnish (optional) Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)
1. In a large pot heat olive oil until it shimmers. Add onion and cook until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and cook until they begin to soften, another 5 minutes.
2. Add herbs and lentils and stir until lentils are coated. Cook for a minute. Add tomatoes, breaking them up if they are whole. Add water and stir. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer and cook until lentils have softened and are cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender, so that the soup is smoother, but still contains chunks of vegetables.
3. Ladle into bowls and add garnish, if using. Serve immediately.
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