Just made this delicious lentil/vege soup

mrsdoobercoons, Apr 16, 7:15am
and thought I would share because it is so yummy and easy to make... I doubled all the quantities and it worked fine, so I guess we will be eating it all week! LOL

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 (14. 5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry lentils
8 cups water
1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons vinegar
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Directions

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

margyr, Apr 16, 8:13am
thanks for that, i will give it a try, my husband often mentions some soup his Mum used to make that he used to put vinegar with, he loves soup as well, so will make this for him tomorrow.

elliehen, Apr 16, 9:09am
Thanks from me too - I keep locally grown frozen spinach blocks in the freezer... will be able to add them to this hearty brew. Am intrigued by the addition of the vinegar, although I do sometimes add lemon juice at the end of a hearty veg soup. Looking forward to trying it :)

margyr, Apr 17, 12:06am
well i think i am going to have a very happy husband when he gets home, I have done the soup, slight change though I have used the slow cooker that he gave me for Christmas, not used it before, so as well as the soup just like his Mum used to make I have used the present he was so pleased to give me. It smells delicious, will add the spinach later though.

margyr, Apr 17, 5:17am
Well husband has eaten 3 bowl fulls, I did not add the vinegar as he said he used to just add it to the bowl when his Mum made it, first bowl had vinegar, 2nd one he forgot and then when he added vinegar he said it was actually nicer without the vinegar. However it is not the same as Mum used to make as hers did not have all the yummy vege in it, was just a bowl of lentils, and once again mine is nicer than what his Mum used to make.

mrsdoobercoons, Apr 17, 5:40am
so glad you enjoyed it. I have another soup recipe which has been our favourite for the last couple of years. I will post that too. Enjoy!

kirinesha, Apr 17, 5:42am
Being one up on the mother-in-law is always a good place to be!

mrsdoobercoons, Apr 17, 5:50am
Italian Pumpkin Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
half a small dried chilli
half of a large pumpkin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup cooked chopped silverbeet
2-3 litres of water

Heat the oil in a large pot.

Add the garlic cloves and cook until brown. Remove from oil and discard.

Add the rosemary to the hot oil and after one minute add the cubes of pumpkin. Stir thoroughly.

Add water.

Add crushed dried chilli.

Boil for 40 minutes.

Add silverbeet and cook for another 5 minutes.

You can add cooked pasta spirals or shells to the soup when serving, and a spoonful of parmesan cheese can also be added on top when serving if desired.

This is our favourite soup recipe and is even better left to stand for a day or two. Enjoy!

margyr, Feb 8, 6:03am
mmmmmmmmm, thanks I have a huge pumpkin sitting on the bench so will do that one next.