Cheese and Onion Pie with Tomato Salad

Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté the aromatics

   • Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
   • Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened.
   • Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
2. 2

   Combine ingredients and boil

   • Stir in the rinsed brown lentils, water, chopped tomatoes, dried thyme, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper.
   • Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
3. 3

   Simmer the soup

   • Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the soup simmer gently.
   • Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. 4

   Finish and serve

   • Remove the pot from the heat and take out the bay leaf.
   • Stir in the fresh spinach. The heat from the soup will wilt it in about a minute.
   • Stir in the fresh lemon juice to brighten the flavors.
   • Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper if you like. Serve hot.