Lentil Soup (Simple Base and Seasonings and Vegan)

Every good soup starts with a good base. My favorite base for soups is a mixture of onion, carrots, and celery. The most important part is not to rush the sautéing of these vegetables because that is what adds a lot of flavor to the soup. I added some salt and pepper after the mixture sautéed for a few minutes to help with the flavor. After I was satisfied with the sautéing of the onion mixture, I added in some bell pepper and sautéed for a few more minutes. I followed that with garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, salt, and pepper. Once that was fragrant, I added in the rinsed lentils (a mixture of green and red). I wanted to see the lentils coated with the spices before I added in the decided tomatoes, vegetable broth and bay leaf. I let that simmer for about a half hour with the lid on and stirring every so often(maybe a little longer). To finish the soup, I removed it from the heat, removed the bay leaf, and used an immersion blender for a few pulses to bring some thickness to the soup. It is very important to add salt and pepper to taste!

Of course, I had to add toppings! I added some lemon juice, fresh parsley, and green onion. I also added some crushed tortilla chips. Jacob decided to add some hot sauce to his lentil soup. I think this soup would be great with fresh jalapenos or even a dollop of sour cream! 

This soup would be great in the crockpot. I would throw it all in the slow cooker for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.