Pork, Vegetable, and Lentil Soup

After a few days in the hospital and several more days recuperating at home, I was ready to attempt to prepare a meal. A pot of soup seemed a good place to start.

Once again, a well-stocked freezer, refrigerator, and pantry paid off. No trip to the grocery store was needed.  I had everything I needed and made the recipe up as I went along.

1 T. olive oil

3 boneless pork chops, sliced and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 large yellow onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

3 ribs celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 cup dried lentils

3 - 4 cups of water

2 t. Better than Bouillon Ham Base
2 bay leaves

a few grinds black pepper

1 - 2 T. EACH chopped fresh parsley and basil

grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

In a medium Dutch oven (4 quarts), heat olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add cubed pork, and stirring frequently, brown well.  Add onions, carrots, and celery and stir to combine. Let vegetables soften for 3 - 4 minutes and then garlic and diced tomatoes. Bring to a gentle boil.

Add lentils, water, and ham base. Add bay leaves.  Reduce heat so that soup is simmering. The lentils will only need about 25 - 30 minutes to cook. If you want a thicker "stew" let the liquid reduce. If you want soup, add water as needed.  

Add a few grinds of black pepper and taste. Remove bay leaves. With the ham base, salt is usually not needed. Stir in the chopped parsley and basil just before serving.