Recipe for Vegetarian Lentil Soup

I am not a big fan of the winter. I do enjoy the four seasons, but I only want winter for a day. I hate the cold!! The snow is pretty, but only from inside. I hate driving in it, shoveling it, scraping my car, and freezing in it!! Since I live in Utah and grew up in Illinois, there is no hope for me. I will always be cold in the winter, with lots of snow.

The only way to survive is to make warm, comforting foods all winter long. Soup is the best! I love making big pots of soup so we can take it in our lunches or reheat it for a quick dinner. Sometimes we freeze soup too, but Josh is a good eater, so we usually don’t have extras:)

I recently made a big pot of vegetarian lentil soup. It was just what I needed to warm up. I love cooking with lentils too. They are a great source of protein and keep me full for a good while. So if you are cold or just hungry for a good soup, try this recipe!

Vegetarian Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound brown lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups), rinsed and picked over
3 cans low sodium vegetable broth
2 cups of water
2 bay leaves
4 fresh thyme sprigs

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth, water, and stir. Add the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.