French Green Lentil Soup

1 ½ cups French or ‘Baby’ Green Lentils, washed and picked over for stones
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large stalk celery, diced
1 medium yellow onion
2 heads of roasted garlic, yielding approx. 2-3 tablespoons garlic paste.* (or substitute 5-6 cloves crushed fresh garlic)
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. fresh rosemary, de-stemmed and chopped
1 tsp. thyme (or 2 tsp. fresh thyme)
1 tsp. oregano
1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes in their juice
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans
1 large yellow potato, diced
½ bunch de-stemmed, roughly chopped Kale (or other greens)
2 cups vegetable broth (or 1 vegetable bullion cube and water, see below)
½ tsp. salt, to taste
Black pepper to taste


Directions: In a heavy bottomed soup pot, sauté the celery and onion in olive oil for 5 minutes, until they begin to be translucent. Add the lentils, and stir to coat with the onion and oil mixture. Add 4 cups water and 2 cups broth (or 6 cups water and 1 vegetable bullion cube). Bring soup to a low boil. Add the roasted garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay, and oregano. After boiling for 10 minutes or so, add the can of diced tomatoes and their juice. Bring soup back to a boil. When lentils are tender but not quite done, add the diced potato, salt, and pepper. Simmer soup for 5 minutes until potatoes are nearly done. Add green beans and kale and simmer until all the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and serve. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Garnish suggestions: fresh grated parmesan, additional fresh rosemary and pepper, a squeeze of lemon- to perk up the flavor.

* To roast garlic: cut the tops off 2 heads of garlic. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil, and wrap garlic in foil. Roast at 375 for 30 minutes. Let garlic cool, and remove from papery skins. Mash into a paste with a fork.