soup on a snow day

It was just like the weather forecasters predicted...lots of snow had fallen overnight.

This is looking out the back door. See how it has drifted above the bottom of the door glass?

There is a swimming pool under there somewhere!

We didn't have to go anywhere but I cleared a path to the Jeep in case something came up.

The night before, I made a big pot of soup using a bag of red lentils that I'd picked up at the grocery a couple of months ago, and had forgotten about.

After looking online for a recipe using  lentils, I settled on this one, since I had the rest of the ingredients on hand. It sounded different and interesting.

Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup 

1/4 cup butter or olive oil

2 large sweet potatoes, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped,

1 apple, chopped

1 onion.chopped

1 lb dry red lentils, rinsed and drained

ginger , salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika

4 cups (or more as needed) of vegetable or chicken broth.

Melt butter in a large open soup pot, Add chopped vegetables and saute until onions are soft. The original recipe said to peel the apple and sweet potatoes, but I did not. The skins are good for you!

Add spices, broth and lentils. 

Bring to a boil, the reduce heat and simmer until lentils are fully cooked, about an hour...adding more water or broth if needed.

It's a filling and healthy soup...I really liked it.  My husband wasn't so thrilled with it.  He only took about half a bowl and he drenched that with hot sauce.

That's okay, he usually eats about anything I cook.  Maybe it just isn't a "man soup"...there's no meat in it.

I'll just put some in the freezer and save it for another snowy day.