Simple Lentil Soup

Cool weather calls for soup!
 
I love soup! There is nothing more comforting to warm one up on a cool fall day than a steaming bowl of homemade soup! Once your get the ingredients assembled in the soup kettle, your meal is pretty much done. Then you can curl up with a book until meal time!

Lentils are high in protein and good for you, so some years ago I tried a lentil soup. We didn’t care for it so I decided I didn’t like lentils. It turns out I just didn’t have the right recipe!  

I belong to a book club with my church and  and as a group we were reading a book entitled, “Eating with Joy.” Each chapter includes a recipe, so when my turn came to read a chapter and give a review, I decided to cook the recipe from that chapter and share with my friends. The recipe happened to be for lentil soup. The author stated that with so many people in our world hungry, we should try to cook some of meals more simply. This soup is about as simple and inexpensive as recipes get...and it’s good!  Be sure to follow all the rinsing of the lentils as the recipe calls for. That must be what makes the difference.
 
Simple lentil soup:
1 lb lentils
1/4 cup olive oil - no substitutes
1-2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 quart cold water
2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
juice from 1 lemon

Start by rinsing and soaking one pound of lentils in fresh water to cover. Soak at least 1 hour, then drain and rinse again. Cover with fresh water, bring to boil, then simmer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, heat a soup pot over medium heat and cover the bottom with the olive oil. Add onions and garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly; add the cooked, drained lentils and cumin. Stir for 1 minute more, then add a quart or so of cold water. Bring to a boil; simmer for 45 minutes, adding salt and fresh black pepper. Stir in lemon juice and taste to adjust for saltiness and acidity. Remove from heat; you can drizzle in a bit more olive oil. Serve in bowls with some hearty bread.

I made the recipe exactly as printed. I was tempted to use chicken broth instead of the water but I didn’t and we really enjoyed it and I have made it several times! Enjoy our beautiful fall weather!