Lentil/Carrot/Rice Soup and Crackers Monday

I made a big batch of lentil soup tonight. The boys each devoured the soup and crackers. It was yummy. Here is the recipe that I got from the December 2004/January 2005 issue of Organicstyle.com:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger (you can freeze ginger root to keep it fresh longer)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1.5 cups dried red lentils (I used brown)
2 cups vegetable broth (or you can use chicken broth if you're not vegetarian)
1 cup drained and chopped canned tomatoes (or chopped fresh cherry tomatoes)
1.5 cups cooked brown or white rice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion 5 minutes, until soft. Add garlic, carrots, ginger, and cumin; saute 2 minutes. Add lentils, broth, and 5 cups water (I used 5 cups vegetable broth and 2 cups water). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until lentils are just tender- about 20 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes and rice, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove about a quarter of the soup (about 2 cups) and puree in a blender (or you can use an immersion blender). Return to pot and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle a little oil before serving.

Here is what the boys had for lunch too: Left over fruit, carrots, tuna/cucumber wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla, grapes, cheese crackers: