What I Had for Lunch Today: Lentil Soup with Buttered Croûtes

To make this soup, I sautéed an onion, a carrot, two stalks of celery, parsley, and thyme in excellent extra-virgin olive oil. (These days I'm gaga over redisland cold-pressed oil from Australia.) I'm kind of afraid of bay leaves--I once almost killed my ex with one--or I might have put a couple of those in as well. Then I added a pound of dried lentils, a few drops of liquid mesquite smoke, salt, and water to cover. I simmered the soup for about an hour, then left it on the stove and reheated it the next day. (Time is the secret ingredient is almost every dish.) I garnished the lentil soup with a drizzle of organic pumpkin oil and some Cholula hot sauce. I ate this with buttered croûtes and a glass of vegetable juice. Oh, and a stalk of celery!