Lentil Vegetable Soup

This is a tasty and hearty soup.  Many thanks to my mother-in-law, who was visiting for the day, for making this for all of us while I was at work, it was tasty! This soup is even better the next day and freezes well. We had some crusty bread and green salad with ours. Enjoy!

Recipe: (Serves 6-8)
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups lentils
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water, plus more if needed
6 small (golf ball sized) Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (or other small potato)
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Directions
1. Sauté onions, carrots, celery and garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in salt, lentils, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, broth, water and potatoes and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, 15-20 minutes longer. Add the vinegar. Discard the bay leaf and season to taste as needed. You can always add alittle extra water or broth to achieve the consistency you want. Serve hot. This soup freezes well so consider making a double batch for a quick reheat meal next week.