• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ½ cups chopped carrots
• 1 ½ cups chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound lentils, picked and rinsed
• 1 15-ounce can (fire-roasted) tomatoes, pureed
• 1 to 1 ½ quart beef or vegetable broth, to desired consistency
• 2/3 to 1 cup Worcestershire sauce, to taste
• 2 to 3 cups cooked meatballs, or small sausage cubes

Directions:

Pour olive oil into a large 6-quart Dutch oven and set it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the carrots, celery, onion and salt; cook until the onions are translucent. Add the beef broth, pureed tomatoes and rinsed lentils; stir and then add Worcestershire sauce to taste, using up to ½ cup. Add cooked meatballs or sausage. Once the soup is close to boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Eat it as is, or use a stick blender to puree.

If you prefer a thinner soup, add 1/2 quart beef broth.  If you prefer less vegetables, reduce carrots and celery by 1/2 cup each.

Vegan alternative:

Simply use vegetable stock and refrain from including meat and Worchestershire sauce in the recipe.  You can also eliminate the pureed tomatoes and double the vegetable broth to two quarts to have a thinner soup.  I recommend Wolfgang Puck's organic vegetable broth; it is delicious.