During the fall and winter I love making soups and lentil soup is definitely one of my old standbys. It is easy to make, most of the ingredients are on hand and it will last you the entire week. You can eat it for lunch, as a snack or even for dinner with a nice salad and some whole wheat bread sticks. I am not a big fan of freezing but this soup freezes excellently as well. Freeze single serving size portions in Tupperware or zip lock bags and you have any easy meal whenever you need it. I have spoken before of my affection for lentils but they really are fabulous. Healthy, tasty and affordable, what more can you ask of a food?

Lentil Soup
I like to use lots of carrots, celery and potatoes in this recipe but if you are not fond of them you can reduce the amounts or lose the carrots and celery and instead throw in some spinach along with the potatoes. Experiment on your own with different vegetables, the possibilities are endless.

Ingredients
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 ribs of celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups lentils (about 1 lb)
• 3 cups water
• 3 cups chicken broth, reduced fat
• 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, seasoned
• 1 cup red new potatoes, quartered
• 2 large fresh springs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Grated parmesan cheese

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Add the lentils, water, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, potatoes, fresh thyme and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour or until the potatoes are cooked and lentils are tender. Serve in a bowl and top with grated parmesan cheese. Makes 8-10 servings.

Notes
Similar recipes can me made with green split peas with the elimination of the diced tomatoes and addition of more potatoes. If you don’t have fresh thyme on hand, use ½ teaspoon of dried thyme. Also, if the vegetables and lentils aren't soft enough and the liquid is mostly gone add some more chicken broth.