Lentil Vegetable Soup

Brown lentils hold their shape better than red lentils and do not need a soak. Rinse them and pick out any small stones before they go into the pot.

Ingredients

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• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

How to make it

1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots, and celery for 6 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and cumin and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add the lentils, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, and salt.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer partly covered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
5. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the parsley and lemon juice. Add water if the soup is thicker than you want.

Substitutions

• Green lentils can replace brown lentils.
• A teaspoon of curry powder can replace the cumin if you want a different pot next time.

Storage

Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat with extra water because lentils keep absorbing liquid.

Make it part of your week

Save this recipe in the weekly planner so the grocery list is ready before you shop.