Lentil Soup with Potatoes and Chard

2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
1/3 cup of minced celery
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 dried brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
6 cups of vegetable broth
1/4 cup of minced fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from a small bunch of Swiss chard (about 6 cups)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, the carrot, the celery, and the garlic, cover, and cook, stirring a few times, until soften, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, the lentils, the broth, the parsley, the bay leaves, the salt and the pepper and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, perhaps 20 minutes. The time varies, sometimes greatly, depending on the age and quality of the lentils. Use your own good experience. You may have to add a little more broth or water if the soup becomes too thick.

Remove and discard the bay leaves.

While the soup is cooking, ina large pot of boiling salted water, cook the chard until tender, perhaps 5 minutes.

Drain the chard, rinse under sold water to cool for easy handling.

Coarsely chop the chard.

Stir the chard into the soup and simmer for 5 additional minutes.

Adjust the seasoning and serve with your favorite bread and cheese.

Note: You may try adding a wee bit a cayenne to the soup. You might also serve the soup with hot sauce or cider vinegar on the side.