Lotsa Veggies Lentil Soup
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced medium fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried Thyme
1 teaspoons dried Tarragon
several pinches fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 ribs celery, diced small
1/2 pound carrots, diced small
1.2 pound zucchini, diced small
1 cup lentils
6 cups vegetable broth
6 oz tomato sauce
1/4 pound spinach leaves, well washed and chopped
Preheat a 4-quart pot over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and saute the onions in oil for about 5 minutes, till translucent. Add garlic, thyme, tarrigon, pepper, and salt. Saute another minute.
Add celery, carrots, zucchini, lentils, and vegetable broth. Mix to combine. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to simmer for 30 – 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
Add tomato sauce and bring to simmer. Stir in spinach. Turn heat off, cover, and let sit for 10 – 15 minutes.
As to what I did different… I chopped my veggies a little larger than small and did not chop the baby spinach. If the spinach had been larger, I would have chopped it a little, but spinach wilts. I guess if you want a more even texture, you should chop everything small.
I liked it. Luke didn’t. He says it needs sausage, but he is not sure that would be enough to save it. It would be better with sausage. I will probably add veggie sausage next time. I will be making it again. I think its good, and different, and interesting.
I made cornbread which was good with it. (By the way, cornbread made with applesauce and almond or rice milk and no milk, eggs, or butter is pretty good, especially in a bowl with soup broth soaked in the way I like it.)