On cold days the best thing to warm up with is a good bowl of soup.  I often make instant Turkish soups (just add water and stir), but nothing beats that home made soup.  Lentils are high in iron and protein which is an essential part of ones diet; also it is very satisfying and hearty.

Growing up my mom would always have a bowl of soup ready for my brother and me right after school.  On cold days winter days the warmth of the soup would make our insides feel mushy and warm.This recipe came out to be a very quick and easy.  I chopped all the ingredients coarsely and once everything was soft with a hand blender, I mixed it thoroughly. This gave the soup a nice and smooth texture.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of green lentils 
• 1 medium yellow onion (chopped coarse)
• 2 medium size carrots (peeled & chopped coarse)
• 2 stalks of celery (optional)
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• salt
• 1/2 cup of pastina 
• 5-7 cups of cold water (if you have opt for chicken or vegetable stock)
• juice of lemon (for serving)

Note: 1. Pastina is a type of pasta like orzo often used in soups.
          2. Salt I will leave the salt to your own taste buds. Just don’t forget to add it in.   

 Preparation:

1. Into a cooking pot add in all the ingredients, the olive oil, chopped onions, carrots and celery. 
2. Over medium/high heat stir all ingredients add in the green lentils and 5 cups of cold water plus the salt.
3. Bring everything to a boil, until the green lentils are no longer whole and everything looks to be soft.  
4. Cool for about 5 – 10 min.  With a blender, I used a hand held blender, puree all ingredients until smooth.
5. Again over a medium heat bring this smooth pureed soup to a boil, if the soup is to thick add a cup or two of water.  
6. Add in the pastina and continue to boil for about 10-12 min.  Pastina will continue to cook from the heat of the soup.    
7. Serve warm with a few tablespoons of lemon juice.

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