Lovin' Those Lentils!

I adore lentils. I could eat them at every meal, every day, 365. My favorite way to enjoy them is in this soup - rich tomato broth, tender lentils, fresh basil. I served this batch with local bread, but I've also been known to ladle the soup into roasted acorn squash halves!

Hearty Lentil-Tomato Soup with Fresh Basil

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced 
1/2 cup minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons sugar 
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes
2 cups vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over to remove debris (like little stones)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes, until soft. Add the sugar, thyme, oregano, and bay leaves and stir to coat the vegetables with the herbs. Cook 1 minute, until the herbs are fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, water and tomato paste and bring to boil, breaking up the tomatoes as they cook (I use the side of a wooden spoon or fork). Stir in the lentils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes, until the lentils are tender.
Remove the bay leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the basil.

Serves 4-6


Photo: ozphotography