Easy Greek Lentil Soup

Having just returned home after another wonderful holiday to Greece, I hankered for Greek food almost immediately, I don't think that I'll ever get tired of this lovely cuisine so after a small disaster making Greek Lemon Potatoes last week it was onwards and upwards to a new recipe. This recipe is adapted from one by The Mediterranean Dish, while it was a good recipe I felt that it needed a little more oomph - especially as we are used to strong asian flavours so here goes : 

  Greek Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Large Onion - roughly chopped, 3 Sticks Celery - roughly chopped, 3 Carrots - roughly chopped ,6 Fat Garlic Cloves - roughly chopped, 1 1/2 Cups washed and drained Red lentils, 3 Teaspoons Dried Oregano, 1600 Mls Vegetable Stock ,1 Teaspoon Cumin, 1 Tablespoon dried Rosemary ( I used fresh from the garden ) ,1/2 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes, 3 Bay Leaves ,1 Tin Chopped ( or Whole ) Tomatoes, Zest of 1 Lemon, Juice of 2 Lemons, Handful Fresh Parsley - chopped Crumble of Feta Cheese

Fry all the vegetables in a good glug of olive oil for about 10 - 15 minutes but not until brown, add the herbs and spices and stir for a couple of minutes, add tomatoes, lentils and stock and cook gently for about half an hour or until the lentils are nice and soft, blend to make a smooth soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick , thin with a little more stock or water. To finish when serving, add lemon juice, crumble a little feta and chopped parsley on the top ( I also gave the soup a little splash of olive oil ), serve with crusty bread.

This was a fabulous tasty soup and freezes down really well as it makes 6 good sized portions.