Vegetarian Lentil Soup

*Update - I revised this slightly from the original posting. I added garbanzo beans, cumin, and bell pepper. Of course, if you don't like any of those ingredients, you can certainly omit them and it will still be good. However, I feel like the cumin gave it an extra kick :)

I love anything made with vegetables. With the exception of peas and lima beans, I'll eat any vegetable you put in front of me. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't share my love of veggies. The only vegetables he likes are green beans and asparagus, and I can only make those so many times (he claims that corn is his favorite vegetable, but doesn't believe me when I argue that corn is a grain, not a veggie...Help me out here, people!). Unfortunately, he also won't eat any sort of bean. You can see this poses a problem for someone like me, who loves to eat healthy and cook up fresh, seasonal veggies. When Mike travels or isn't home for dinner, I like to take advantage and make things that I love, that he normally won't eat. Since he was out of town for work this past weekend, I decided to cook up something he wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole - lentil soup!

I was grocery shopping a few days ago, when a bag of dry lentils caught my eye. I love lentil soup, so I figured I'd whip some up to eat while he was gone. It was actually quite easy and I used everything I already had on hand. It's also a great option since Lent is going on right now and we can't eat meat on Fridays. Although this soup can be eaten right after you make it, it's better if you make it and let it sit in the fridge overnight. All the flavors get some time to sit and infuse together. It was so good and is a great vegetarian/vegan option as well.

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Lentil Vegetable Soup

- One 16 oz bag of dry lentils

- 3 medium carrots, chopped

- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper

- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 14.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

- 2 tablespoons of olive oil

- 5 cloves of garlic, minced

- One 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, juice included

- 6 to 8 cups of water

- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of cumin

- Salt, pepper, and paprika to taste (I like to cook with sea salt or kosher salt however, regular salt will do just fine)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, bell pepper, and onion and saute until soft - about 10 to 12 minutes.

Add garlic, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook for 2 minutes longer.

Add 6 cups of water, lentils, garbanzos, bay leaves and tomatoes and juice, and increase heat to medium-high. Cover and let come to a boil. Let cook for 10-15 minutes.

Add additional water, if needed. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, discard bay leaves and season with additional salt and pepper to taste. 

Like I said, this is even better if you let it sit overnight. It's hearty, comforting and healthy! Tastes great when served with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top, and some warm, crusty bread on the side. It also freezes well.

I was a little unsure as to how the flavor would taste since I normally add chicken broth to most of my soups. However, the flavors of the veggies, combined with the seasonings and tomato juice, make a delicious broth.