Sunday Soup

James was feeling a little under the weather so soup seemed just the thing. Plus he loves broccoli rabe and I happened to have an easy recipe tucked away for lentil soup topped with the tasty, bitter vegetable.
First I started chopped onion (1), 2 stalks of celery, 2 carrots carrot, 1 plum tomato and 3 cloves of garlic sautéing in olive oil (I started the onion first and then added the other vegetables to give the onion a chance to soften). Then I added in two cups of green lentils, 4 cups of chicken broth, 4 1/2 cups of water, 2 bay leaves, S&P, and several sprigs of thyme. I brought the soup up to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes, just until the lentils were tender. I had some cooked rice in the fridge so I added that into the pot and heated it through. When the soup was finished I added a splash of lemon juice to the pot for a little acidity.
Meanwhile I boiled the chopped broccoli rabe in salted water for about 4 minutes. I topped the soup with a sprinkle of goat cheese, broccoli rate, and a drizzle of flavorful olive oil.
Mmmmm soup.