This is my favorite lentil soup recipe. It's from the book Veganomicon. It has converted several non-lentil fans to enjoy them every once in a while.
French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme
Ingredients
1 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced (I didn't seed them and the soup still came out great
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 t dried tarragon
1 t dried thyme
1 t paprika
6 cups water or vegetable broth
2 cups lentils
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 t salt
several pinches of black pepper
Preheat a large soup pot over medium heat. Saute the onion and carrots for about 10 minutes, until the onions have browned a bit. Add the garlic, tarragon, thyme, and paprika, and saute for 2 more minutes. Add the tomatoes and a little splash of water if necessary, and stir to deglaze the pot. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the water/broth, lentils, bay leaves, salt and pepper, then cover and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 45 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. If the soup looks too thin, uncover and simmer for a couple more minutes. If it looks too thick, add a little more water. Serve with good, crusty bread.