lentils

Last week in Food and Party Buzz, Food Network's Alex Guarnaschelli called lentils the "cheap date of the legume world." She inspired me to find a great one-pot recipe for this tasty, inexpensive staple...

This vegetarian lentil soup is hearty enough on its own; or you can add some sliced sausage if you want to amp up the flavor even more.

Lentil Soup from Pro Bono Baker

(serves 4 with leftovers)

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of Italian parsley, chopped (both stem and leaves)

2 cups lentils

8 cups stock

1/4-1/2 lb sausage sliced (optional)

Salt

Brown sausage in a little oil. Remove from heat. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon oil. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add pepper and cumin to pot, and cook the mixture for 1 minute. Add the remaining oil, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaf, parsley, lentils, browned sausage, and 6 cups of stock. Stir and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat, and cook the soup uncovered, barely simmering, until the lentils are tender and have absorbed most of the stock, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes to allow the lentils to soften.


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