Lentil Soup

This last Sunday I think I was having withdrawals from not being in the kitchen for 2 days.  And I've been wanting to make my own lentil soup forever so I finally gave it a go.  I used Giada de laurentiis' recipe as a base but turned it into my own with a few changes. This soup was hearty, filling and just what I needed on a cool evening.  And guess what... it taste even better the next day.

What You'll Need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 russet potatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to your taste level)
2 pinches crushed red pepper
2 tbsp of tomato paste
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)

11 cups low-salt chicken broth 

4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs

2/3 cup dried elbow pasta

shredded Parmesan for sprinkling on top

Makes about 6 servings

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and mix.  Then, add the broth and stir. Throw in the thyme sprigs and rinsed lentils and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes. 

 While the lentils are softening in the broth, boil the potatoes in a small bowl.  Add the cooked potatoes and dried pasta into the broth.  Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper if needed. 

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and a sprig of thyme to look pretty, and serve!