Lentil & Vegetable Soup

Ingredients
•1 C lentils
•1 Tsp olive oil
•½ Tsp yellow asafetida powder
•¼ Tsp ground black pepper
•2 Tsp dried celery
•2 C chopped tomatoes
•1 C chopped carrots
•1 C green beans, cut in 1inch lengths
•6 C water
•1 ½ Tsp salt
Preparation
1.Wash and drain the lentils.
2.Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over moderate heat; add asafetida, black pepper and celery. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add all the vegetables and sauté for 1 minute.
3.Add the lentils. Stir in the water and salt. Cook until the lentils break down and become soft. Serve hot. (alternately you can pressurize the soup with 4½ C of water)
** If you desire a thicker soup, blend 1/3 of the soup ingredient in a blender until smooth and add to the simmering soup.
Serves
4-6