Grandma's Lentil Soup

I've always loved my Grandma's lentil soup and since Cody really enjoys it I've wanted to learn how to make it for a while.  I finally had my grandma show me how she makes her soup when we were home for Christmas.  I've tweaked her recipe a bit and made it a few times and it's really tasty, maybe even a little better than hers.

1 1/2 cups lentils (green are best per NT)
2 tbsp whey or lemon juice
4 cups chicken stock (my grandma uses water but I use homemade stock to make it more nutritious)
1/2 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced (we like lots of garlic so feel free to use less)
2-3 bay leaves
3-5 dried thyme stems or 1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 heaping tbsp of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: some diced carrots

Cover the lentils with warm water and add the whey or lemon juice.  Let it soak for 7 hours and then strain & rinse them.

Put the lentils in a pot and add the chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and then skim off any foam.

Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme.  Stir the tomato paste with some water until it is dissolved and add as well.  Reduce to a simmer and simmer covered for around an hour.  Uncover and add the oregano, salt and pepper.  Continue to simmer until you like the consistency (I've done anywhere from 15 minutes to 45 minutes depending on how busy I am).

Super simple, tasty and nourishing.  It goes really well with some feta on the side.


Photo credit: Maggie Hoffman from Flickr