Accidental Lentil Soup

2 cups dried Lentils (brown/green variety)

1 Tbs olive oil

1/4 cup onions - diced small

1/2 cup celery - diced small

1/2 cup carrots - diced small

1 cup spinach leaves (I just grabbed a loose handful)

1 can chicken broth (15 oz)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Water for boiling

1. Rinse lentils in water and pick out the broken pieces and any floaters.

2. Boil in enough water to cover lentils by 2 or more inches. 

3. Simmer until lentils start to get weird and mushy. Turn off heat and put aside.

4. In a separate pan, saute onions, celery and carrots in oil olive. Do not burn.

5. Add lentils using a slotted spoon so only a little of the boiling water is added to the veggies. Add chicken broth and spinach. 

6. Cover and simmer until veggies are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Why is this recipe "accidental?" Because you don't need to par-boil lentils when making soup. I started out boiling the lentils to make a salad and ended up with soup instead! However, boiling the lentils separately allowed me to scoop out just the nicer beans and leave the mushy mess behind.

I had this hearty soup for lunch today