Simple Lentils

My family and I love lentil soup. Over the years, it has become a tradition that I make it on Christmas Eve. So now whenever I make it, the smell always reminds me of Christmas ... and it smells good! The weather is turning cooler here and it is the perfect time to break out the best soup, stew, and legume recipes.

I decided to make lentil soup the other day and stopped halfway through the recipe because the lentils already had so much flavor that they didn't need any extra seasoning. Since I have a baby on board, I couldn't add the chorizo sausage like I normally do. Then, I also left out the fried bread, fried tomato sauce, garlic and parsley. So it turned out to be a super healthy dish. No fat added and a lot less calories. It really is so easy to make. All you do is throw everything in the pot and stir every once in a while. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think.

Simple Lentils
(About 6-8 servings)

1 lb lentils (most don't need to be soaked over night)
12 cups water
1 onion, quartered
1 garlic clove, smashed
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick chunks
2 bay leaves (or 4 small ones)
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into thick chunks
Salt
(See ... nothing but good, healthful ingredients in this recipe!)

Rinse the lentils then add them to a big stock pot with the water. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. About halfway through, add the potatoes. Stir every so often. You can half cover the pot, if you would like. Then add a decent amount of salt to taste and that's it! Pretty simple and absolutely delicious.