Lentil Soup

Here in Massachusetts the weather is starting to get cold. One of my favorite soups for this time of the year is Lentil soup. I grew up with this soup, my mother would make it all the time. Retreiving the recipe from her though was quite a task since she does not measure the ingredients, I guess when you are cooking for a long time you don't need to. By watching her cook I have finally learned to figure out how much of each ingredient she uses.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 cup tomatoes chopped
1 1/4 cup lentils
2 cloves garlic
6 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add carrots, celery, garlic, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.