Lentil Soup for the Soul

Vegan Lentil SoupThis recipe is amazing – very simple, very inexpensive to make, but with a HUGE payoff. It costs about $10 to make 10 servings of this organic soup. My 2.5 year old son loves it, and it packs more nutritional punch than that organic canned soup line I used to buy.Ingredients1 TB organic olive oil2 cloves garlic, minced1 medium yellow onion, small dice1 carrot, small dice1 celery stalk with leaves, small dice6 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, washed and diced1 teaspoon salt½ pound brown lentils, washed and drained4 cups No-Chicken organic vegetable stockExtra water as neededDirections

1. Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
2. Stir in the garlic and warm until the garlic becomes fragrant.
3. Add the onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add the lentils and stock*, plus enough water to cover the veggies and lentils by one inch.
5. Raise the heat to medium-high to bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

*Optional: stir in 1 cup chopped spinach, or ½ cup diced yams or butternut squash** For kiddo's lunch, pre-heat a thermos with hot water in the morning and re-heat the soup for a few minutes. Pour out the water and fill with warm soup. Will provide a warming, satisfying school lunch.