Lentil Vegetable Soup
Slightly modified recipe originally from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook
Ingredients:
- 1 pound French green lentils (Whole Foods Market)
- 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions)
- 4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
- 3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
- 3 quarts vegetable stock
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
Directions:
- In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
- In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender.
- Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes.
- Add the vegetable stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings.