Well, my husband is back from Arizona, so I'm back to cooking! This is a wonderful soup recipe - very easy and very nutritious. I've made some adaptations in the ingredients, so I've listed them at the end of the recipe directions.
1 ounce dried mushrooms
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 cups lentils
1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
6 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 pound vermicelli or thin spaghetti, broken into 2-inch pieced (equals about 1 cup)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese per person
Put the dried mushrooms in a bowl, cover with 1 cup hot water, and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir the mushrooms occasionally for even soaking. When soft, drain and reserve the liquid. Chop mushrooms coarsely, and set aside.
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrot; saute 10 minutes. (Add a couple of tablespoons water if the vegetables become too dry.)
Add the mushroom soaking liquid, mushrooms, lentils, tomatoes, red wine, water, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce the heat to medium-low (or whatever setting will produce a simmer on your stove.) Simmer the soup 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the salt and pasta. Cover and continue cooking 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the parsley. Add pepper to taste and top each serving with parmesan cheese.
DONNA'S NOTES:
I use organic chicken stock in place of the 6 1/2 cups of water; I like the resultant flavor much better. I don't use red wine, and I'm always trying to find a good substitute. I've tried 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar and 1/4 cup of water, and that works OK. I also like to add a piece of Parmesan rind to the simmering soup.
