Lentil soup (vegan) neeno's essentials

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup French green lentils
Splash of olive oil
1/2 cup onion
1/2 cup celery
1/2 cup carrot
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups vegetable broth
8 ounces tomato sauce
Block of firm tofu (optional)
Baking spray (optional)

Directions:
Lentil soup (vegan):
Chop up the celery, Carrots and onion. Heat up a deep pot with olive oil about medium high. Toss the chopped vegetables in the hot olive oil, sauté for about 10 minutes. Rinse the lentils. When the vegetables look translucent they are ready! Add the tomato sauce, vegetable broth and lentils to the sautéed vegetables. Turn the heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once boiling cover with lid and turn the heat to a medium low, let soup simmer covered for about 35 minutes, until lentils are tender. Lastly, transfer two cups of soup to a blender, blend to a smooth paste and dump it back in with the rest of the soup, this with thicken your soup. Add salt and pepper to taste, mix it all up and serve!

Baked tofu:
Preheat oven to 400. Chop up tofu to little cubes, 3/4 of an inch by 3/4 of an inch, the bigger the better. Lay out a sheet of foil on a baking tray, hit it with baking spray. Place tofu on greased tray, throw into the oven. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, flip tofu over, cook for an additional 5 minutes and take them out of the oven. Boom you're done. You can add them to your soup for more protein at the end!

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do! Great to make in the beginning of the week and have throughout the week as a side, snack or even meal! Thanks again for joining me I appreciate each and every one of you! Much love! Now Let's get cooking!