Mid-Month Recipe: Red Lentil Soup

As the weather turns I always turns to soups & stews first.  In the Midwest the CrockPot remains king, but I prefer a slower, over the stove approach.  This is why I love lentil soups.  The prep and cook time is less than 40 minutes, and in that time you have a meal packed with fiber that you can eat by itself, over rice, or with a breadlike vessel.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Red Lentils
3 Cups Water (or Vegetable Broth)
2 Carrots; diced
1 Onion; diced
3 Celery Stalks; chopped
5 Garlic Cloves; minced
Cumin (idk, like, a lot)
Olive Oil or Oil of Choice
Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions:

1. PREP!  I like to prep all of the veggies and spices ahead of time which will take you about 10 minutes depending on your knife skills.  Also, rinse your lentils before hand.
2. In a stockpot start to heat your oil.  Add your onions first and let them sweat.  This is about 5-8 minutes or so.  Next add the garlic and let them cook for about 2 minutes.  Let the flavors really get into your pores.
3. Add in the carrots and celery and stir.  Wait about 2 minutes and add the cumin.  Stir so everything has a good coating to it.
4. Finally add the lentils PLUS 3 cups of water or broth.  Let them all get to know each other in the pot.
5. I add a little salt while it's cooking, and throw in 1-2 bay leaves.  Set your timer for about 25 minutes and let it simmer and absorb all of the water/broth.
6. After 25 minutes it should be nice and soupy.  Season with salt and pepper to desired levels.  Squeeze in 1 lemon!

​Enjoy.