Vegetarian Lentil Soup – Good Old Comfort Food

MMMM GOOD! Nothing like a bowl of homemade lentil soup to warm you up on these snowy evenings! I used to make this all the time and started it with a ham hock. But, ever since my life turned around and I fell in love with a vegetarian, I had to learn how to make this dish just as tasty, but without the smokey ham flavor. Ultimately I learned to love it just as much as my original recipe, and knowing that lentils are loaded with iron makes it even better for your health! Believe it or not, at times I take the leftovers for lunch and if a microwave isn’t available to heat them up – I eat them cold and they’re just as good! Personally, I think most soups are better the next day- after they have been given a chance to marinade.

• Begin by sauteing a whole diced onion and five cloves of chopped garlic in a splash of olive oil
• Add diced celery and carrots
• Simmer on the stove top until onions are translucent
• Add a half of bag of petite lentils  (rinse them first in a strainer and pick out any odd lentils that may in fact, be rocks!)
• Add 22 ounces of vegetable broth  -You can uses chicken broth of course, if you live with an omnivore 🙂
• One can of basil and garlic diced tomatoes
• One dash or oregano and a second dash of parsley
• One cup of red marinara sauce
• Three tablespoons of grated Parmesan to top it off!!

I let this cook on medium heat for no less than three hours – If the consistency becomes too thick, don’t add water – add additional  broth. When the lentils are nice and soft it is time to remove the soup from the heat. Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan and wait for your family to thank you!