Lentil Minestrone

Thank you to Susan for this week's tasty soup!  She offered a hearty, aromatic Lentil Minestrone served with salad and cornbread.  Yum!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 c finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1/4 c chopped parsley

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 carrots, diced

1 c diced celery or celery root

salt and pepper

1 c green lentils

2 bay leaves, 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme sprigs

9 c water (I used beef stock from slow-cooked beef)

Tamari to taste (I used balsamic vinegar instead)

1 bunch greens -- mustard, broccoli rabe, chard or kale

2 c cooked small pasta

grated parmesan for topping

Directions:

- Heat oil in wide soup pot.

- Saute onion with 2 tsp salt until lightly browned, about 10 min.

- Add tomato paste, garlic, aromatics, vegetables and cook 3 min more.

- Add lentiles and water/stock and bring to boil.

- Lower the heat and simmer until lentils are soft.

- Season for salt and pepper (soy sauce works well at this step).

- Remove aromatics and season at the end with balsamic vinegar.   Serve with grated Parmesan.

Several of our Soup Night enthusiasts (one just lost a tooth)