Soup's On: Rosemary Lentil Vegetable Soup

When I woke up to frost on the ground I knew it was really winter. And winter, of course, means soup season. This is an easy vegan lentil soup that is extremely flavorful. It is thick, almost like a stew. It has a spicy kick from the jalapeno, but feel free to leave that out for a milder soup. Try serving it with a dab of Cashew Sour Cream or dairy sour cream.


ROSEMARY LENTIL VEGETABLE SOUP

2 medium onions, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 cups dried green lentils
7 cups of water
3 cubes of gluten-free vegetable bouillon
1 jalapeno pepper (including seeds), chopped finely (optional)
4 large carrots, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
1 small parsnip, peeled and diced
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
Salt, to taste
2 cups frozen chopped spinach (or 3 firmly packed cups of fresh shredded spinach)

Heat oil over medium-high flame in large pot. When the oil is heated, add onions and sautee until translucent. Add garlic and rosemary, and cook until they fragrance the oil (1-2 minutes). Add remaining ingredients, except for spinach. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat. Adjust salt to taste. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes approximately 10 servings.