I heart soup, especially on a day like today when it’s cold and rainy outside.  Each season offers a distinctive harvest of produce to inspire any epicurean with a colorful pallet for creating masterpieces of this liquid bullion.

It’s in the company of some of the best comfort foods, whether it’s thick & hearty or a subtle warming broth, it does the body good.

I create soups recipes as I am preparing them, adding ingredients that often work really well together and some that just don’t!  Today I made Lentil soup and it tasted like a work of art, so much so that I had to share it with all of you.  And of course, document this recipe so that I could make it exactly, identically, perfectly the same way again.

Here’s what you’ll need… Stockpot, saucepan, strainer, prep time 1 ½ hour

2 Cups of Lentils

2 Cups of water

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

2 Medium Shallots

1 Head of Garlic (Roasted)

2 Bay Leaves

3 Stalks of Celery

3 Carrots

¼ Teaspoon Slat

¼ Teaspoon Pepper

4 Cups Chicken or stock

1 Tablespoon of tomato paste

2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

In a sauce pan add water, lentils and garlic powder bring to a boil, drain and set aside. In your stockpot add olive oil, salt, pepper and tomato paste, heat for 2 minutes, then adding chopped shallots and roasted garlic browning for 10 minutes. Prepare the celery and carrots by cutting into small pieces, add to stock pot to sear along with olive oil, shallots and roasted garlic for 5 minutes.

Take the lentils (do not rinse) add to stock pot, allow to heat with herbs and oil for 2 to 3 minutes so lentils absorb all the flavors. Finally add the chicken stock mixing all the ingredients, simmer for 45 minutes and serve.

Soup really does the body good! Enjoy and SLURP!