Lentil Soup

We love soup and it's such an easy meal to make and healthy too! I had read numerous recipes regarding lentil soup and took what I learned from them, added my own touch and came out with this. It was outstanding! Served with some sourdough bread and it was all that was needed for a very filling meal. You can leave out the chili powder if you don't like it spicy, or add more if you do! This was thick and stew-like, if you like it a little more soupy you can add more stock to it. I always make my soup a day ahead of when we plan to have it for our meal. It always tastes better when it had time for all the flavors to meld together.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2  cups red lentils
• 1  cup barley
• 1  cup purple onion, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups carrots, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 cups acorn squash, chopped
• 1  cup smoked ham, chopped
• 1  tablespoon oregano
• 1  tablespoon rosemary
• 1  tablespoon thyme
• 1⁄4 teaspoon chili powder
• 8  cups  vegetable stock
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
•  salt & pepper

Directions

1. Rinse the lentils and set aside.
2. Saute the onion, celery, carrots and squash in a large soup pot with a little olive oil. Add the oregano, rosemary, thyme and chili powder.
3. When the onions and celery get soft, add the ham and sautee a little longer. (Just a few minutes).
4. Add the vegetable stock, can of diced tomates (with juices) and bring it to a slow boil.
5. As soon as it begins to boil, add the red lentils and the barley. Bring it to a boil again, then turn down to a very low simmer. You don't want the lentils or barley to burn to the bottom of the pot. Cover and cook for about 45-60 minutes until the lentils and barley are soft.
6. Remove about 2 cups of the soup mixture and put it in a blender. Allow it to cool (about 15 minutes or so) and blend it until smooth, then return it to the pot.
7. Serve immediately, or allow it to cool and then refrigerate it overnight and serve it the next day. If you wish, you can serve the soup with a dallop of sour cream or plain yogurt in top.