So simple, yet so GOOD!

This morning, in an attempt to gird my loins for an afternoon and evening of solid work, (and also to fill my stomach in a quick and easy and warm way) I made a pot of soup. This last couple of weeks, as I have been working away at home most days on assignments etc (and because the weather has been a tad nippy), I have gotten into a bit of a soup-groove for lunch.

Some days I have had a mug of instant cuppa soup, and other days home made. A week or so ago I made a big pot of pea and ham soup, and froze a number of portions, and then last week a friend gave me some pumpkin from her parents' garden, so that became a very zesty pumpkin soup, also with some serves into the freezer. Today I made a pot of what must be one of the easiest (and cheapest!) soups I have ever made... from a monastic recipe passed on by a lecturer (as she made a pot for our class for lunch last Sat, when we had an all day meeting).

So I will share it with you-

Monastic Lentil Soup
6 cups of water or stock
(lecturer used "Vegeta" Gourmet stock powder, I used 3 Maggi chicken stock cubes)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup red lentils
zest of one lemon - plus juice, to taste
(I just added all the juice from the lemon, but it was a little strong, perhaps next time will either use a smaller lemon, or make double quantity for a larger lemon)

Chuck it all into a big pot, bring to boil and simmer until the lentils disintegrate (about half an hour).

I know, I hear you say, it sounds a bit bland... but let me tell you that it is incredibly tasty... without the need to add any extra seasoning or even salt or pepper.

Total cost- about $2-3, for a hearty pot that will serve 3-4 people (or more, depending on the serving size)

I usually serve my lunchtime soups with cheese on toast (but that's only because I finally got around to opening the gorgeous Ashgrove Farm Bush Pepper cheese that's been in my fridge for months, and I just couldn't resist it :-)