Basic Lentils

Basic method for cooking brown and green lentils.
I love eating a big bowl of lentils for lunch with
hot sauce and grated parmesan cheese!



1 1/2 cups brown or green lentils, sorted and rinsed
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
chopped parsley

Put lentils in soup pot, cover with 6 cups cold water and bring to a boil.
Add onion, garlic, bay leaves, carrot, celery, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.
Lower heat and simmer until tender but still a little firm--they shouldn't
be mushy--about 25 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid for soup stock.
Remove garlic, and bay leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in oil
and add a few drops of vinegar. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Quick Stock

A basic, easy, fast vegetable stock that can be used for anything.
Makes about 6 cups.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil in a large pot.
Add any chopped vegetables desired (I used asparagus ends,
leeks, carrots, and celery).
Then add garlic and any spices appropriate.
After about 10 minutes, add 2 teaspoons salt and 2 quarts cold water
and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25 to
35 minutes. Strain as soon as stock is finished.

Springtime Asparagus Soup

Another recipe from "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone" by Deborah Madison
This time I made birthday soup for Zachary




1 1/2 lbs asparagus
1 large leek, white part plus an inch of the green, chopped
6 cups vegetable stock (see Quick Stock entry)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion
2 tablespoons raw white rice
salt and pepper
lemon juice


Slice the asparagus into three parts: ends, middles, and tips. Chop the middle and sat tips aside. Use asparagus ends and leek roots and greens in quick stock.
Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the leek, onion, and rice and saute over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, until the onion is slightly colored. Add 1 cup stock and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool briefly, then puree. Taste the soup for salt, add a few drops of lemon juice, and season with pepper. Return pot to the stove to keep warm.
Meanwhile, drop asparagus tips into boiling salted water and cook until tender, about 4 minutes, then add them to the finished soup.