Escarole Lentil Soup

Healthy and delicious!
   
     Escarole has a natural savory butter flavor when it is cooked.  Lentils are rich and deep in flavor.  The combination of escarole and lentils create a nice tasting soup.  
    
     Escarole Lentil Soup Recipe:
     This recipe makes 1 large serving or 2 small servings of soup!
     Heat a sauce pot over medium low heat.
     Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
     Add 3 tablespoons each of:
     - small diced carrot
     - small diced celery
     - small diced onion
     Add 1/2 of a minced garlic clove.
     When the vegetables become cooked tender, add 1 1/3 cups of chopped escarole leaves.
     Saute till the escarole becomes wilted.
     Add 3 1/2 cups of vegetable broth.  (Chicken or pork broth is also good for this soup.)
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 1 bay leaf.
     Add 1 pinch of oregano.
     Add 1 1/2 cups of dried lentil beans.
     Bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat.
     Reduce the temperature to low heat.
     Slowly simmer the soup till the lentils become cooked soft and till most of the broth is absorbed by the lentils.
     Add broth if necessary, but keep in mind that this is supposed to be a hearty soup and not a brothy soup!
     Remove the bay leaf.
     Mash half of the lentils in the soup with a potato masher.
     Ladle the soup into a soup bowl.
     Serve with sliced French bread on the side.
     No garnish is necessary.
    
     Tasty, hearty and simple!  If you use vegetable broth to make this soup, then this soup can be a very nice vegetarian meal.  Yum!  ...  Shawna