Soup for you!

I eat a lot of lentils. They sort of take the place of meat, which I try to stay away from, plus they're high in fiber, low in fat, blah, blah, blah. (Honestly, eating healthy things can be so tiresome.) I found a recipe today for lentil soup, and I have decided to share it with you for two reasons: First, I quite enjoyed it, and second, it earned a passing grade from my better half.

2 Tablespoons olive-oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, copped
2 garlic gloves, chopped
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1.25 cups lentils
11 (yes, ELEVEN) cups chicken broth
2/3 cup elbow pasta (you won't miss this if you leave it out)
1 cup shredded Parmesan

Heat the oil in a heavy, large (emphasis on large!) pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots & celery. Add the garlic, salt & pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes (or maybe longer, which is what happened with me.) Add the tomatoes (including the juice) and simmer until the juice evaporates a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover & simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

The recipe claims to serves 6, but that is such complete and utter rubbish. Maybe 6 giants or something, but as for regular people, probably 12 or 15.