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Lentil Soup

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time About 45 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 medium carrot, chopped
  • 1 medium celery stalk, chopped, any leaves reserved for garnish
  • 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
  • 3 bay leaves
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Put the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and keep cooking and stirring until the carrot turns bright orange, about 2 more minutes.
  2. Add the lentils, bay leaves, and 6 cups water; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the soup bubbles steadily and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. If the soup gets too thick, add more water, about 1/4 cup at a time.
  3. Just before serving, fish out the bay leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with any reserved celery leaves, and serve.

—Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics

Recipe variations

Meaty Lentil Soup: Reduce the olive oil to 1 tablespoon and use it to cook up to 1/2 pound raw sausage chunks, ground meat, or chopped bacon in Step 1 before adding the vegetables (these will take 5 to 10 extra minutes to cook). Then continue with the recipe.