I am the soup queen. I once hosted a Soup party and called it Soupapolooza. It's maybe not terribly original, but you have to admit that this soup screams of comfort. Check it out!

 LENTIL SOUP

•  1 package Fakin Bacon (You could omit this, but it adds a lovely, smoky flavor)
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 cup diced celery
• 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
• Olive oil
• 2 cups of dried lentils
• 8 cups vegetable stock, maybe a little more to thin soup
• 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Pinch cloves
• Small handful fresh parsley or a healthy sprinkle of dried
• Scant tsp seasalt
• Freshly Ground Pepper to taste 3 cups diced potato or half potato and half rutabaga

1. Saute Fakin Bacon, carrots, onion, celery and garlic in enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of the soup pot, until golden.
2. Combine with lentils, stock, tomatoes, herbs, salt and a healthy grind of black pepper.
3. Cover and bring to a boil, simmering about an hour. Add potatoes and rutabaga, if using, bring to a boil and cook another 20-30 mins until potatoes are tender.
4. Adjust seasoning. if soup is more stew-like than you desire, add more stock. 

I make this early in the afternoon and let it sit on the stove until dinner time.