Warm Up From Winter with Dexter's Lentil Soup (RECIPE)

This is one of my favorite wintertime soups. Serve with a green salad and biscuits. Actually, you don’t even need the biscuits since this soup is so satisfying. You can even leave off the feta cheese, if you want to make this a vegan dish.

Vegetarian Slow Cooker Lentil Soup

2 cups brown lentils (washed and picked over if needed)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
8 cups vegetable stock, preferably low sodium

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Crumbled Feta cheese

Chop onions, celery, and carrots. If desired, this can be done the night before, to make it easier in the morning.

Store the chopped veggies in the refrigerator in a baggie or covered bowl. Measure 2 cups brown lentils and put them in the slow cooker along with the chopped vegetables. Add vegetable stock, diced tomatoes and seasonings. Stir and cook on low for 8-9 hours or high for 4 hours, or until lentils are soft.

Use a stick blender to mix and blenderize the soup. Or let it cool slightly and fill a blender half way up with the mixture to liquefy. Pour into a large bowl and repeat with additional mixture until all of it is blended. (Never fill the blender container more than half way when blending hot mixtures.) Taste for seasoning, and add additional salt or pepper, if desired, but remember that the Feta is salty, so you may not need additional salt.

Serve soup hot, with a tablespoon or two of crumbled Feta sprinkled on each serving, if desired.

Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour or multigrain flour
3/4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons granulated garlic or garlic powder, divided
1 cup low fat or skim milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon fresh parsley, or 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Whisk together flour, 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon garlic in a medium bowl. Add milk and stir with a fork until ingredients are mixed, being careful not to over mix. If dough is too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. Dollop dough onto prepared baking sheet—about 3 tablespoons worth at a time.

Melt butter with the remaining granulated garlic and parsley. Brush each biscuit with this butter mixture and sprinkle with the additional 1/4 cup cheddar cheese. Bake biscuits for 15 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned. Serve warm.