Lentil-Tomato Soup with Polar Bear

I know, why a soup at this time of the year? you are thinking! well here in New York there are nights when it is definitely chilly. It is not really hot weather for grilled or light foods because the kitchen gets heated up but best of all is that this soup can get made in the slow cooker on low for 8 or 9 hours and kept in the refrigerator or a week or more.

What I like to do is use 1 pint jars to store the soup in the refrigerator when it is only Peter and I at home for convenience. I like this soup for a snack at times. It is great for lunch with crackers, cheese, some tomato and some fruit on the side.

I have never tried this on the stove top. I do not have the patience to keep on stirring the pot occasionally for hours so that nothing sticks or burns. But this soup can probably be made in a large heavy pot in the oven. What I would do is put it in the oven with the chicken you are roasting or the lasagna or whatever. Then lower the temperature to about 225F and leave it in there for several hours. Once I take the pot out of the oven, I would bring it to a gentle boil on the stove top to make sure everything is cooked and there are no bad bacteria living in the food.

Okay, okay I will get to the recipe.

Cook spray

1 Tablespoon Olive oil

2 cups finely chopped onion

2 minced cloves of garlic

11/2 cups of grated carrots

1 cup minced celery

1 teaspoon each turmeric, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, ground pepper (depending on your taste add more of any of these spices)

2 bay leaves

3 cups water

1 lb dry lentils, sorted and washed

3 14 oz cans of beef broth

1 28 oz can crushed tomato

1 14 oz can of crushed tomato

Heat a skillet to hot, spray with cook spray, add the olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic with all of the spices, herbs and seasonings until the onion is translucent. Add to the slow cooker pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Let her rip for at least 8 hours on low.

When all is done, use your stick blender for about 5 mins in the pot or blend or process half o the soup so you end up with a soup that is not completely pureed but not completely pieces either!

This is so yummy. When I serve this soup for dinner I serve a caser salad and hot crusty bread and a cool fruity slush for desert.

Polar Bear

This is our favorite cool slushy fruity desert.

Freeze 1 or 2 cans unsweetened of pineapple bits in a pie plate. When frozen solid, place in your food processor and process completely so that all you have a fluffy icy mess. Serve immediately. This too is so very yummy.