Greek Lentil Soup

I love lentil soup! Here's the one I came up with from trying various recipes. I call it Greek Lentil Soup because some of the ingredients are those that my Papa would have used :-)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. brown lentils
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
• 1 large stalk celery, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 quart water
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place lentils in a large saucepan, cover with 1 inch of water. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain lentils into a colander. Pour olive oil in to the large saucepan and place over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook while stirring until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

Pour in lentils, 1 quart water, oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer until the lentils have softened, about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add an additional amount of water during cooking if desired.

By Deeli from Richland, WA