(Sort of) Mmm Mmm Monday: Lentil Soup

Okay, peeps, today's recipe is another allrecipes.com contribution: Lentil Soup.  It came out okay; I thought it wasn't very flavorful although the recipe got great reviews at allrecipes so I'm probably doing something wrong.  I would make it again, esp. if I have ideas for shzuzzing it up.  Suggestions are always welcome.  Anyway, here's the recipe; changes in italics.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil (probably didn't use 1/4 c.; that's kinduva lot)
• 2 carrots, diced (probably used more; I like carrots in soup)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups dry lentils
• 8 cups water (used veggie broth - homemade!)
• 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced (used more; didn't slice it; just put it in at the end and let the heat wilt it)
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (used balsamic; used more than 2 T.; maybe 4 T.?)
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• added some cumin to shzuzz it up a bit, flavor-wise

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; cook and stir until onion is tender. Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes. (sauteed the veggies in a separate pan bc I needed to thaw the broth over heat and didn't want the veggies to over cook by being in the broth that whole time)
2. Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

Servings: a lot. The recipe says 6 servings, but it seems more than that.

Forgot to thaw out the veggie broth so did it over heat:

Sauteeing the veggies in that wondrous wonder, the cast iron skillet:

Everything together:

Possibly the biggest bay leaf I've ever seen:

 In goes the spinach:

My soup looks very different from the allrecipes picture bc I used an immersion blender to smoosh some of it; I prefer my lentil soup (and most bean-based soups) with at least some of their contents smooshed.