The first snow has fallen here and that has me in the mood for soup. While I was in the mood for soup I didn't want to tackle anything too complicated, which is when I remembered Grandma's Greek lentil soup recipe. I love this recipe because you just throw everything in a pot or your slow cooker, and let it do it's thing.
You can also totally make this recipe your own. Add some carrots or turnips! Whatever you have in your fridge would be great added to this base recipe.
red lentils
This soup is on the thinner side, with bursts of flavor and texture. The broth gives it some good depth and the oregano increases the immunity boosting power of the soup, which is perfect for colder weather. The color of lentils you use are up to you. Growing up, my parents would typically use brown lentils but this time all I had on-hand were red ones and the soup turned out great. You could even use a combination of colors!
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Easy Lentil Soup
1 Cup of dried lentils (any color), soaked for at least 1 hour.
1/2 Onion, chopped
2 Cloves of garlic, minced
14 Ounces of diced tomatoes (canned will be fine, or if they are in season fresh are great too)
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Teaspoon of dried leaf oregano (rubbed between hands to release the oils)
4 Cups of vegetable or chicken broth
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
1 Bay leaf
Once lentils have soaked, give them a good wash through a fine strainer to make sure they are clean. Add the rest of the ingredients. If you are cooking on a stovetop, simmer everything until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on how soft you like them. If you are cooking in a crock-pot, cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours, depending on how hot your slow cooker cooks.
Eat as is or top with seared greens, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese or anything else you can think of!
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I'm confident you'll like this soup. Another nice thing is that because all the ingredients are fairly inexpensive, this is a no-fuss meal from shopping cart to tummy. Let me know if you try this recipe in the comments below. Stay warm everyone!
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