Lentil Soup

I bet you are thinking, "Soup, are you kidding me?" I know that it is way too hot outside to be making soup and it makes me sweat just thinking about eating soup in the summer. But, after being sick this week and having not gone to the store in a long time, this was about all I had left in my pantry to make. This used to be my end of the week standby -- you know, the dish that you make because you are out of food and you really need to go to the store but you would rather do anything else other than that. Well, after many of those weeks this dish got really old. I mean, Jeff was literally rolling his eyes when I told him we were having this again. But, after taking about a 9 month break from making this so much I made it last night. I have to tell you, I was really glad I made it. Even though it is 90° outside it was still really good. Just add a salad and some crusty bread and it is a delicious, quick, healthy meal.


Lentil Soup
(Jen's Recipe)

2 T extra virgin olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb. of lentils
water
sea salt and feshly ground pepper
1-2 T champagne vinegar (optional)
freshly grated parmesan and olive oil to garnish

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils to the pot and add enough water to cover the beans by about a 1/2 inch. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. The soup will be ready when the beans are tender, in about 30 minutes. When the soup is finished cooking, add the vinegar. The vinegar is optional, but it does add a nice flavor to have the soup. As the soup is cooking, you may need to add water as the liquid cooks off and the soup looks like it is getting too dry. To serve, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!
Jen