Really Good Lentils

I really like the lentil soup I made yesterday. Lentils are pretty new to me. I did not grow up eating them. My husband on the other hand, did grow up eating them, and when we got married, I asked him what his favorite food was, and he said lentil soup. Ever since then, I've tried to make lentil soup from time to time, and of all the recipes that I have followed in the past, I have found that the simpler the recipe, the better the outcome.  Lentils with a hint of spices and a few veggies are really good.

A good basic recipe to follow for lentils is as follows:
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups dry lentils
1 quart chicken broth
1 quart beef broth
1 14-ounce can of diced roasted tomatoes with olive oil and garlic ( or just diced tomatoes)
1 to 2 teaspoons salt

Saute the veggies in the olive oil until the onions are translucent, then add all the rest of the ingredients to the pot, cover, and simmer 35-45 minutes, depending on how much bite you want left in your lentils. Or you can forget about it and leave it on the stove for an hour and a half, like I did. If you do that, you will have to add another 3 cups of water or so, as there will be none left in the pot.

Last night's lentils had the following ingredients also added to the pot:
A sprinkle of garlic powder and freshly ground black pepper
Half a teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon coriander powder

This was wonderful served in bowls with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and warm, soft tortillas for dipping!