Mary Jane's Lentil Soup

I ended up with some lentils and wasn't sure what to do with them. Todd mentioned that he loved Lentil Soup (something I'd never had), so I found this easy recipe and tried it tonight. We both really liked it; perfect for a cold night.


Here's the recipe:

1 cup dry lentils
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped carrots
3 Tbs. fresh parsley chopped (or 1 Tbs. dried)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
2 cups chopped tomatoes with juices (fresh or canned)

Rinse lentils; drain and place in soup kettle. Add 4 cups of water. Simmer covered until tender but not mushy (about 30-45 minutes). Meanwhile, saute all vegetables (except tomatoes) and herbs in 1-2 TBS. olive oil until tender (appx. 20 minutes). Add sauted vegetables and tomatoes to the undrained lentils. Simmer covered about 30 minutes longer. Season to taste.