Lentil Soup just for Margie

It's really very simple...you need a bag of lentils (pick them up from the regular grocery store)...a smoked ham hock, about 8-10 cups of stock (use chicken, beef, veggie...whatever is your preference). I used to used beef, now use veggie due to my daughter's choice to become a vegetarian. You can either get the cubes/sprinkles (granules) of bouillon, paste, or just boxed stock. Other ingredients include one sweet onion, bacon, garlic and regular white rice (you can use jasmine or brown rice if you want).

First step is to get the broth ready.

Chop up about 8-10 slices of bacon into thin strips. Let it crisp up and then take it out to a paper towel so it can drain off.

While the bacon is crisping, chop up your sweet onion (depending on who you are cooking for-more or less-use the whole onion if you want-I use half). Cut it the way that you want. I usually mince finely since I have little ones that don't really like onions, so they don't really know it is in there. Put a little olive oil into the pot and add the onions. Let them get nice and translucent...go the extra step and caramelize them, it will add a wonderful sweetness to the soup.

Once the onions are done, we go to the next step!

Onions are done! Now add the stock to the onions and put in the ham hock. If you decide to use bouillon, then make sure to have your water ready also. Add all of it at one time, and stir the bottom. You want to make sure to get all of the yummy bits off of the bottom of the pot that the bacon left! Let that come up to a boil.

Once the pot is boiling, throw in the rinsed lentils. Keep tasting throughout the whole process. Add flavor that you like. The lentils will take about 45 minutes to get fully done....that is why it is important for you to check on it every once in a while. The lentils should have a little resistance to the bite...not chewy, because they will cook more after you take them off of the heat. This is a dish that can be changed in many ways. Peppers, carrots, celery, cilantro, sooooo many variations. It is a base...and then as I do, I use rice to calm down the spice for my kids.

If you want to, you can brown up some sausage or ground beef and throw it in at the end.

As you read this, you might get ideas about extra spices that you might want to use. That's the only way I learned what works for me and my family!

Try it....you might need to add more stock, or more spice, however, it fills the belly and lasts a long time (great for left overs and stretching the dollar). You can also use other beans with the broth base and create your own menu. I have used white beans, pinto, and black beans.

I hope that you try this...not only with lentils, but other beans...or just to use the base broth for other things...let me know what you think!