Greek Style Brown Lentil Soup

I love brown lentils, hell I love lentils period! My first job at 15 was waiting tables at a small Greek dinner across the street from were I lived. I waitressed off and on for the next 7 years. It was hard work but I made good money. Anyway all the dinners I worked at we're Greek owned and they always put a touch of Greek in every dish they made. My favorite soup to eat was the lentil, I could never figure out the taste in the background until I got it out of the chef "cinnamon". He also introduced me to Greek oregano and adding red wine vinegar to bean soups. So freakin good lol! Thanks George!

1 C brown lentils, soaked for 1/2 hour*
1 stalk celery, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced fine
2 bay leaves
1/4 piece of small cinnamon stick**
1 tsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. Greek oregano
1 tbls. olive oil
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste
6 C vegetable stock

Red wine vinegar
Olive oil

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a stock pot add carrot, celery, onion, garlic, bay leaves, sea salt, black pepper, Greek oregano and cinnamon stick sauté for 5 minutes or until mixture softens. Add teaspoon of tomato paste and cook for an additional minutes.

2. Add vegetable stock and lentils (drained if soaked) cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft. Adjust salt and pepper if needed.

3. Serve in a big soup bowl shake a little red wine vinegar and olive oils on top of soup or you can add 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar to finished soup, stir well.

Enjoy!!!

Serves 4-6
Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes
Prep Time: 5 minutes

* I like to soak my lentils as I think it quickens the cooking time, you can skip this if you want.

** Remember you don't want your soup tasting like a pastry lol, you just want a nice woods, earth taste from the cinnamon. You want it to be in the back ground ; )