Snow... and Soup!

Well it's been snowing this morning. Big, fat flakes... but they were doomed to melt as soon as they hit the ground. And that's the kind of snow I like--pretty as you please, and no accumulation! (Which means no shoveling. Yay!)

You can't see the snowflakes in this photo, unfortunately. But they're there! Really! Stupid cell-phone camera. These are the big trees behind my house. Years ago when these houses were built someone decided it was a good idea to plant a row of pine trees--and there they are. Tremendous. But aside from some sap & needles, the trees do insulate the house considerably from wind in the winter and sun in the summer.

So with all this cold weather--enough for the short snowfall here and there--I'm in soup mode. Today I made up a quick batch of lentil soup. This is my first try at using them, and it was super easy!


Lentil Soup

In a large skillet over medium heat, saute in olive oil:

1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced

When onions are transparent, add:

3 cloves garlic, minced

Saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add:

pinch dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)
1 small bay leaf
6 cups chicken broth (I used homemade low-salt broth)
1/2 pound lentils, carefully inspected and rinsed well
1/2 celery rib, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped pepperoni, or 1/2 cup chopped leftover ham

Yes, that's right. Plain old pepperoni. I buy it already sliced in a pillow-pack so I can make quick pizzas for lunch. And it's perfect for a little porky goodness.

Bring soup to a boil and cover; reduce heat to low and simmer 45-60 minutes, or until lentils are soft. Add:

1 tablespoon tomato paste or your favorite spaghetti sauce from a jar (that's what I used, optional)

Now is the fun part. I put in my stick blender to lightly puree the soup, for thickening and textural interest. I only whirled it around a few times--there are still chunks, but some is pureed. Serve steaming in mugs.


Dee-lish, and just right for sitting at the computer on a cold day! This big batch will keep me in soup lunches all week.