Red Lentil Soup

Did I mention my family LOVES soup? They would be happy if I made it every single day. This is a great lentil soup. I used "red" lentils but you could easily make this with regular lentils. I loved this soup! It was such a yummy combination of flavors with the cumin, coriander, and tomatoes. My boys loved it, too, which is always a plus. I love making soups with lentils because they are so good for you and so quick! In just over 20 minutes you can have a delicious, hearty soup ready to eat.

Red Lentil Soup

1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 can diced tomatoes (or use fresh to equal about 1 1/2 cups)
1 celery rib, chopped
1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 cup dried red lentils
5 1/2 cups water
2-3 chicken bouillon cubes (or you could use chicken broth and water--just make sure you have enough liquids)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil in a 4-5 quart saucepan over med high heat. Saute onion, stirring, until golden. Add garlic, carrots, tomato, celery, cumin, coriander, and salt and saute 2 minutes. Add lentils, water, and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in parsley, season with salt and pepper as desired, and serve!

**I've been making this a lot lately and have added 5-6 kale leaves, finely shredded, stems removed. I like it even better this way! I've also added1/2 cup millet a couple times and that was really good, too. Just add with the lentils and let it cook for about 20 min. You might have to add a little more water.