Smells So Good Lentil Soup

• 2 potatoes, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 3/4 cups water
• 3 3/4 cups vegetable broth (or 35 broth cubes from freezing in ice cube trays)
• 16 ounces stewed tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato juice (from the can of stewed tomatoes)
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups dried red lentils
• 1/2 lb fresh spinach, chopped (or 5 oz frozen spinach)
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Cook the potatoes a little over half way before chopping. (I microwave them on high for about 5 minutes.).
2. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots and celery. Saute until onion is tender. Stir in potatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, and pepper. Cook for 1-2 more minutes.
3. Stir in water, broth, tomatoes, tomato juice, and bay leaves. (The liquid added should total 8 cups.) Bring to a boil. Add lentils and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for at least 1 hour.
4. Cook frozen spinach separately, by the package directions, or skip this step if using fresh spinach. Add the spinach and vinegar to the soup in the last 5 minutes of simmering.

potatoes, olive oil, onion, carrots, stalks celery, garlic, oregano, basil, ground black pepper, water, vegetable broth, tomatoes, tomato juice, bay leaves, red lentils, fresh spinach, balsamic vinegar

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/smells-so-good-lentil-soup-390822 (may not work)