Lentil soup

Lentil soup is delicious! My kids love my soup. It is a staple in my house that I first started making in the crock pot with left over lentils. Now, I make it from scratch on the stove top at times and enjoy the whole process of preparation for it.

First, you need lentils...

they come in a bag at the grocery store from the dried beans section. Wash them a couple of times and throw them in a pot with some water. Set them aside. We need the burner for the onions first.

I like cooked onions, a lot. I think the cooked onion gives the soup a much more robust flavor than the onion gives if it isn't cooked. It takes just a moment to get the onions lightly browned like this:

I threw in a bit of fresh garlic, as well. Garlic is superb! It is good in just about anything. Don't eat it raw! It will burn. It has been said to keep away vampires, but who knows! 

I added the onions to my lentils. Then I like to include some carrots into the mixture. I use the baby carrots and cut them in half, then in half once again.

I like them this way because they don't take as long to cook or feel bulky in my mouth. A whole baby carrot is just too much. these fit in the spoon nicely. My guinea pig, Pepper, doesn't care how I cut up his carrots, as long as he gets some! 

Now, it's time to add the spices. In this soup, I add bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Make sure and squish these up in your fingers, except the bay leaves. I leave them whole because they work that way. Plus, it's easier to take out before eating. The bay leaves are a little tough to eat, but I love the earthy flavor they add to the dish.

I want to add that I also include chia and flax seeds when possible because they are good for me. I don't really notice any addition to taste or texture, which is fine.

What about salt? I add salt after all the flavors have mixed together. I also like to make sure everything is cooked. Sometimes when cooking beans, salt will hinder a bean from softening if added too early to the pot. Therefore, I wait until the mixture is almost finished cooking before I add salt.

This is what we have now in our soup pot. You can see the bay leaves and all the other spices floating around on top. The carrots are there with the onions giving them a soft bed and the lentils bringing up the rear. This will be delicious! Bon Appetite!

Peace and Love,

Tela