Simple Hearty Vegetable Soup

It’s NaBloPoMo, National Blog Posting Month. For the month of November, I’m going to post every day. This is day 25. Time to countdown to the end?

I’ve been on a big soup kick. Every week we’ve been making a pot of something or other. Sometimes two. I can’t seem to get enough! If we make a big pot on Sunday, then I know on Monday night there’s dinner all ready to heat up and Tuesday we can again do a redux. This leaves me time on Monday to prepare other things, like lunches for the week or dinner for Tuesday or Wednesday night. It creates a rhythm where you prepare and cook something yet eat something else, so you’re always a little ahead of schedule. It’s my own variation of meal prep. It also means that on Sunday I don’t have to cook/prep for the entire week, just for one or two days, making the task seem easier and more manageable.

So back to this week. Instead of returning to a trusty favorite I tried something new with the ingredients on hand. Sometimes when you’re not thinking or planning you happen upon a new favorite. I think this soup will be added to the regular rotation. The carrots gave it such a wonderful sweetness while the lentils and potatoes made it thick, but not too thick as to be a stew. Unfortunately, it was so yummy and we were so hungry that we gobbled it up before I could take any photos. And then it happened again the next night. And the night after. And then before I realized it, we were lapping up the last drops from our spoon. I was so busy enjoying the soup that I forgot to photograph it. Oops! Such is life. I hope the drawing entertains you.

This soup has the added benefit of being dairy free and gluten free. You could easily make it vegan by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock.

Now go forth and make soup!

Simple Hearty Vegetable Soup
1 small-medium onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 lbs. small white or golden potatoes
1 lb. bag of carrots
3 stalks celery
1 c. red lentils, rinsed
1 box of chicken stock (32 oz.) [gluten-free if needed]
8 c. water
1-2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp salt
pepper

1. Prepare vegetables: quarter and thinly slice onions, peel and slice carrots into small rounds, chop celery, cut up potatoes into large dice (2 inch).
2. Heat large stock pot over medium heat and add olive oil. When heated, add onions and sauté until golden 2-3 minutes.
3. Add potatoes and continue to stir for 4-5 minutes.
4. Add carrots. Continue to sauté for another few minutes until everything starts to soften.
5. Add water and box of chicken stock.
6. Add bay leaf, lentils and celery.
7. Raise heat and bring pot to boil. Reduce to simmer and cover.
8. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.
9. When potatoes are soft soup is done, should be less than 10 minutes!

Was that quick and easy or what (and even quicker the next night when all you have to do is reheat it!)?