Hearty Fall Lentil #Soup for #WeeknightSupper

This is a soupy - for lack of better terms - week for us. Fall is here, the leaves are changing, and  by now we have had a couple of grey days.  So it is the perfect time for soup. Well, let me be clear on that any time of year is actually the right time for soup in our little house, but there is nothing like it to warm you up on a chilly fall day.

When determining what to make for dinner my immediate thought was for lentil soup with veggies.  This is something I make quite often, but every time it turns out a little different.  I guess it always just depends on which vegetables we have at home :)  This one was especially hearty as we got parsnip with our weekly CSA...it turned out great and was a huge hit.  Alena ended up eating two bowls as we all know that she loves lentils...Oh, and yes I did add mini sausages to the soup.  I however prefer it without that addition but you know what they say "...the things we do for love..."{I have to figure out how to embed music into my posts....}

Hearty Fall Lentil Soup

Hearty Fall Lentil Soup

Splash of Olive Oil
1 medium onion diced
2 parsnips cleaned, and diced
3 carrots cleaned, and diced
2 bay leaves
3 Tbs of parsley chopped {Italian}
generous pinch of salt
1 C of dried lentils {I use regular green lentils not the small french - red lentils will not work}
5-1/2 - 6 C of water
3 medium sized yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Tbs. red wine vinegar {or more to taste}
Optional mini sausages {as many or little as you want}
Chopped greens {kale, chard, or beet greens - I used beet greens as this is what I had at home}

1. Heat olive oil in a stock pot, when warm add onion and saute until soft. Then,
2. add parsnip, carrots,  parsley, bay leaves and salt. Saute until fragrant and carrots turn bright orange,
    then
3. add lentils and stir it all up before adding the water, as well as the potatoes.  Bring to a slow
    simmer, and cover.  Simmer until lentils and potatoes are soft, then
4. adjust salt, add pepper, and red wine vinegar to taste before adding,
5. Sausages, and chopped greens.  Heat through until sausages - if using - are hot, and greens have
    slightly wilted.

Serve with crackers {or crusty bread} and optional additional red wine vinegar.