A hearty bowl of soup; perfect for those chilly winter nights!

Yield: 4 servings

Hands-on prep time: 15 minutes

Total prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Price per serving: $.80

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown lentils
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 sticks celery, diced
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Place lentils and 3 cups of water into a saucepan. Heat on high, bringing to boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. Drain all liquid, remove lentils from saucepan and set aside.
2. Heat oil in saucepan and add diced onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add drained lentils and 5 cups of water to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 50 minutes.
3. Season generously with salt and pepper and add lemon juice to taste. Just before serving, stir in spinach, allowing it to wilt.