Eat lentils on New Years day, it will bring money! That was the saying in Czech republic when I was young and still is I believe.

We would often have this lentil soup which is simple but tasty. The lentils provide both protein and a satisfying texture even when made without meat. My grandmother often served it with fried onions and a fried ham slice on top and you can add this to your soup for more protein.

The soup is very versatile and over the years I have served it in different restaurants simple as is or with the addition of diced tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, stew beef and other vegetables, adding just one item or a combination of several.

The addition of vinegar to the soup really helps lift the flavor of the otherwise mild ingredients.

Just like pea soup and bean soup, lentil soup gets better the second and third day as the soup thickens and the flavors marry.

A very tasty and very healthy soup.

Lentil soup

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Recipe by Jiri Krejcir Course: SoupsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

50

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb 1 Lentils

• 10 cups 10 Water

• 2 Tbs 2 Olive oil

• 2 cups 2 Spanish onions

• 1 cup 1 Carrot

• 1 cup 1 Celery

• 2 cloves 2 Garlic

• 1.5 tsp 1.5 Thyme leaves

• 3 whole 3 Bay leaves

• 1/2 tsp 1/2 Black pepper

• 4 tsp 4 Salt

• 2 Tbs 2 Sherry vinegar

Directions

• Pick over your lentils and remove any debris. Wash and peel the vegetables. Chop the onions, carrots and celery into 1/2 inch dice (mirepoix). Crush the garlic cloves and chop fine.
• Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
• When the vegetables are transparent, add the herbs, salt, pepper and water. Bring everything to a boil then add the lentils and stir well. Lower heat to a simmer and add the vinegar.
• Simmer the lentil soup until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Stir soup occasionally to avoid burning and add a little water if it becomes too thick.
• When the lentils are tender, taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper and vinegar to your liking. Serve and enjoy.

Equipment

• Cutting board, paring knife, chef’s knife, soup pot (6-10qt) long spoon for stirring.