Lentil and Vegetable Soup

Good hearty soup that is very good for you. Always good with a piece of crusty wheat bread! Lentils with garden vegetables are what make this soup so good.

ingredients

Slightly over 1 cup of lentils
1 whole head garlic
1 large onion, sliced
1 large smoked pork chop or ham bone
4 medium carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
5 medium potatoes, diced
6 pieces of cauliflower heads
1 good handful green beans
4 oz. can of tomato paste
4 Tbsp. olive oil
fresh garden herbs: 1 bay leaf, several sprigs thyme, Italian flat leaf parsley, 2 or 3 sprigs
4 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste
water to cook lentils
1 teaspoon vinegar
garlic croutons for garnish

directions

1
Turn on oven to 350 degrees. Put lentils in large heavy bottomed stew pot with water to cover plus about 2 inches. Bring to boil and simmer 45 minutes. Check water level and add more as needed.
2
Meanwhile, put whole head of garlic into shallow baking pan together with onion, smoked pork or ham bone, drizzle with olive oil and roast in oven at medium heat about 45 minutes.
3
Remove baking tray from oven when all is nicely browned and cut meat into small dice and add to lentil pot along with onion. Squeeze garlic from skin into lentil pot, adding ham/pork bone along with oil and juices scraped from roasting pan.
4
Add rest of vegetables to lentils, chicken stock, tomato paste, fresh herbs and bay leaf, parsley - reserving one sprig, fresh ground pepper. Bring to boil and simmer about 1 hour until vegetables are done, adding more water if needed.
5
When vegetables are tender, remove ham/pork bones and any bare thyme stems from pot. Check for flavour and add salt as needed. Add vinegar and stir.
6
Serve with a bit of chopped parsley and more fresh ground pepper. Homemade garlic croutons are also nice as a garnish.