I added this recipe for lentil soup to Food Nirvana because it is such a pleasant comfort food during cold months. Note that it is essentially a one dish meal, though some folks like to serve it with hot, freshly made garlic bread.

Lentil soup is easy to make and it is quite delicious. It is also quite filling. Serve it with the beverage of your choice.

I've used various meats when making this soup. Most often I sear small cubes of beef or simply use cut up leftover beef roast. Recently I used corned beef that I had cured and cooked. It was delicious! Surprisingly even cut up hot dogs are tasty. Overall, note that you can use multiple types of meat, ergo new meat and leftovers together.

Ingredients: (Makes 4 to 6 servings)

2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil

1 medium to large yellow onion, chopped

1 large russet potato, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large carrot, chopped

1 large stalk of celery, chopped

1 lb. of chopped or cubed meat of your choice (raw or cooked)

1, 1 lb. bag of brown lentils

1, 28 oz. can of peeled plum tomatoes, chopped, including the juice

2 quarts of chicken or beef broth

2 tsp. of beef or chicken flavored Better Than Bullion® soup base

1 tbsp. of Wright's® Liquid Smoke hickory flavoring (optional)

1 tsp. of mild paprika

1 tsp. of ground cumin

1 tbsp. of fresh chopped thyme (or one teaspoon of dried thyme)

1/4 cup of fresh parsley, plus extra to garnish

1 tsp. of sea salt

1/2 tsp. of black pepper

Directions:

Put the lentils into a colander and rinse them well with cold water. Remove and discard any foreign matter.

Heat the olive oil in a one gallon pot over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the meat and brown it if it is raw. If the meat is already cooked do not add it to the pot until after the raw vegetables have been sautéed as described next.

Add the onion to the pot and sauté it until it is transparent. Add the garlic and continue sautéing until the garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add the carrot and celery and potato and cook until they are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir the lentils into the contents of the pot, allowing them to cook for a few minutes, while stirring occasionally. Add 1 tbsp. of extra olive oil if needed to avoid having the vegetables stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add all remaining ingredients and stir well. Increase the heat to high, bringing the soup to a boil while stirring occasionally.

When the soup has been boiling for 2 to 3 minutes, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and allow the soup to simmer for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft.

Season the soup with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish it with a little extra parsley when you serve it.

Enjoy!