Hearty Lentil Soup

It's even better with Gruyère & Dubliner grilled cheese!  Mmm!

There is nothing worse than making a recipe… then completely forgetting what you did to make it.  All I have is this picture and a few remnants of taste memories in my mind.  Blerg.  I think it is enough to write a recipe on, I mean, lentil soup is lentil soup.  And I remember making it with only ingredients I had on hand, which means this soup is very adaptable.  At the time, I remember only having some onions, so I used onions.  However, if you have celery, carrots or even potatoes, feel free to add those in too!  The possibilities are endless!  Side note: why does lentil soup have to be so ugly and brown?  Is is SO delicious and SO healthy, but it's just so… brown.

This month I have really been trying to keep way under my budget (which isn't that large to begin with) so I started off by going to Whole Foods and completely raiding their dry and bulk food bins.  Five pounds of lentil in a bag bigger than my head?  Check.  Dried black beans, kidney beans and some white beans for good measure?  Check, check, check.  But let's not forget about the brown rice!  Double check on that one.  Oy, where is the check out?  I think you all know where I am going here… I have been making a lot of soups on Sunday and eating them through the week.  It really has been quite nice (until it gets to Friday and I am sick of eating the same thing) and I like being able to have a "home cooked meal" on Wednesday without having to lift anything more than a small saucepan to reheat my soup!

I also need to give some credit where credit is lovingly due, to my sister!  This not grainy and well lit photograph is sponsored by Santa Sister, i.e. my Christmas gift from my sister!  I would like to assume that my family follows my blog in a cult like fashion, and anyone else who does would know that I am frequently at a loss for light.  The shy Seattle sun sets mighty early in the winter (around 3 pm!) and as a result, I do most of my cooking after dark.  The lights of my kitchen or a harsh flash bouncing on every which wall of my apartment do not bode my food well.  So yes, pre-light box, I bitched about lighting a lot.  Now post-light box, I can take pictures any time of the night (I feel like an evil laugh would be appropriate here)!!  So thank you, Caroline, so very very much for giving me a light box for Christmas!  This post is solely dedicated to you!

Hearty Lentil Soup
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 teaspoons of dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 8 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 3 cups lentils
• 2 cups water
• 4-5 cups vegetable stock
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large dutch oven or pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic, cook until begins to turn translucent
2. Add the spices, tomatoes, water, stock and lentils.  Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.  Partially cover the pot, to allow steam to escape, lower the heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the lentils are tender.  Stir occasionally, scraping along the bottom of the pot, to prevent sticking.
3. Add the salt and pepper, stir again, taste and adjust according to preference.