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1
Peel the onion and carrot and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
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2
Trim and discard the ends of the celery and dice into 1/2-inch pieces.
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3
Peel and finely chop the garlic or put it through a garlic press.
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4
Rinse the lentils in a sieve and pick through them to remove any foreign objects.
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5
Place the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
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6
Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
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7
Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning, and cook for 2 minutes.
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8
Add the lentils, tomatoes, and water to the pan and bring to a boil.
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9
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
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10
Just prior to serving, stir in the spinach and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until warm.
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11
Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
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12
Dont let directions telling you to remove any foreign objects from lentils freak you out.
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13
Its not as scary as it sounds.
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14
Because the lentil plants grow close to the ground, its very common for small stones to get picked up during harvesting.
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15
You just need to run your fingers through them as you are rinsing them and take a close look to make sure there arent any stones.
