Lentil and White Bean Soup
This is a hearty lentil soup filled with vegetables and beans.

2 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 small yellow onion sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 zucchini squash, diced
1-2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 cup lentils
1 cup white beans *
5 cups of vegetable broth
1 tsp. Fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Salt
Pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in your soup pot. Add the onions and cook about 6 minutes until they have softened. Add the celery, carrots and zucchini. Stir and cook about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the lentils and the broth. Cook for 45 minutes and then add the beans and the parsley. Cook another 15 minutes. Then add the lemon juice, salt and pepper.

I like to soak my white beans overnight in a bowl filled with water. Then I rinse them, put them in a pot, cover with water. Add an onion, a piece of celery and a carrot. Cook for about an hour until the beans are softened. Never salt the beans during the cooking. Wait until the beans are done. Adding salt will make the beans hard.

You can also use canned beans. Just make sure you rinse them very well.