This soup is a hearty blend of brown lentils, vegetables, and a variety of mushrooms. I love the texture because each bite is wonderfully chewy. The scallions, parsley, and thyme finish it with a burst of green crunchiness. This is my dad’s favorite soup. I always drop off a quart for him the day I make it. I usually check later to see how he and my mom liked it, but then I learn that my mom never even got one bite of it!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
6 carrots, peeled and diced or sliced
2 portobello mushroom caps, diced
1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1/4 pound oyster mushrooms, sliced
1/2 pound dried lentils
1 cup dry sherry
8 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 7 minutes. Add the portobello, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms. Sauté an additional 3 minutes. Add the lentils, sherry, stock, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 1^1/4 hours.

Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Add the thyme, parsley, scallions, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir well.

Makes 8 servings