There is simply nothing more comforting than coming home from work, and enjoying a nice bowl of this healthy, comforting meal.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 3 slices of cubed bacon leave out for a vegan option
- one finely diced onion
- 2 small finely cubed carrots
- 1 finely chopped celery stalk
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- salt + pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 tablespoon dry oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup of dry lentils soaked in water for 60 minutes
- 1 cup plain tomato sauce
- 4 cups unsalted vegetable stock
- 3 cups water
- handful of fresh chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
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Soak 1 cup of lentils in four cups of cold water for a minimum of one hour. Rinse and drain.
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In a big pot on the stove, add the oil and finely chopped bacon. Let it crisp up on medium heat. I like to discard 3/4 of the oil once the bacon is cooked and leave a little in the pot before adding the onions but feel free to leave it if you wish.
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Add the finely diced veggies (onions,celery,carrots) and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic, and stir. Add oregano, salt, pepper, and paprika, to taste. You can always taste and adjust for salt as you cook. Sauté the garlic for one minute, add the tomato paste and stir.
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Add the strained lentils to the pot along with the tomato sauce. Add the vegetable broth and water. Let it come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are soft. This should take 35-40 minutes.
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When the lentils are cooked, take the pot off the heat, add a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy
Notes
- Leave out the bacon if you are vegan or cannot eat bacon and simply proceed to sautéing the onions, celery, and carrots.
- Can also add kielbasa in lentil soup instead of bacon or simply leave out any meat for a plant-based option.
- Can use all unsalted vegetable stock or all water.
- If you find that the soup is too thick, you can always thin it out with more unsalted broth or water.
- Soak the lentils for a minimum of one hour to overnight in cold filtered water. Drain before adding in the soup.
- This soup can freeze, but be mindful it will thicken as it cools and sits. You can always add more broth or water to thin it out.
