Sorry, but I don’t recall where we found the original of this great recipe. Something makes me think it may have come from one of Frances Moore Lappe’s books. It’s ridiculously easy and oh, so tasty.

As usual, over the years, we’ve tweaked according to our own tastes. That’s what you’ll see here. This recipe is easy to modify according to your own preferences.

Saute in large pot for three to five minutes:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 cup onion (you could easily double this if you’d like more onion)
• 3-4 sliced carrots (cut larger slices into smaller pieces)

Add 1 teaspoon thyme for last minute

Add:

• 3 cups of your favorite stock (or water mixed with bouillon cube or powder)
• 1 cup rinsed, dry lentils
• 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley (if we don’t have fresh parsley, we just omit this step. Still great.)
• 1 quart home-canned tomatoes (or you can use a 28-oz store bought can)

Bring to boil, then simmer in covered pot 45 minutes.

Now comes the part that makes this soup truly special:

Fill the bottom of each bowl with 1/4 cup grated Swiss cheese; ladle steaming hot soup into bowls; to each bowl add about 2 tablespoons dry, white wine of your choice. (The chef gets an extra swig or two! ) You could omit either of these two ingredients, but IMO they’re what takes this soup from good to terrific.

Want a really great complement for this dish? Pair with my prize-winning cornbread recipe.