Tuscan Roasted Tomato Lentil Soup w/ Balsamic

A cozy, healthy and nourishing soup that will warm you up, and fill you up!  This recipe calls for canned fire roasted tomatoes but if you have and abundance of fresh tomatoes and a little extra time, roast your own with our Tuscan Herb Olive Oil, salt & pepper to boost the flavour even more!

Ingredients

1/4 cup NOOC Tuscan Herb Olive Oil
1/4 cup NOOC 18 yr Aged Traditional Balsamic
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 tsp sea salt
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 cup green lentils, rinsed and drained
1 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes (or roast your own!)
6 cups chicken, veggie or bone broth/stock
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
More salt, if desired (depending on how salty your broth and tomatoes already are) Crumbled feta and chopped fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a large soup pot, heat Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and onions over medium low heat and sauté until soft, translucent, and browning slightly, 15-20 mins. Increase heat to medium and add the carrots, celery, and garlic Sauté another 5-7 mins until slightly softened. Add the salt, thyme, and basil, and stir until fragrant. Add lentils, stir to coat (2 minutes), then add tomatoes and vegetable stock. Cover soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook until lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Add Traditional Balsamic and pepper, simmer low for another 5-10 minutes Adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or balsamic. Allow to cool, store overnight, gently reheat, and serve with a drizzle of balsamic.

*Top with a bit of crumbled feta and fresh basil for extra flavour or even add shredded cooked chicken for more of a protein hit!