Balsamic Lentil Soup

From Epicurious.


Ingredients:
makes 6 servings
(As with all savory dishes, you can approximate these measurements, adding more of what you like or less if you're a grump)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onions (i chose 1 cup sweet onion, 1 cup white, yum)
1 cup chopped celery (keep the leaves aside for garnish)
1 cup peeled, chopped carrots
3 chopped garlic cloves
4 cups vegetable (or chicken broth)
1 1/4 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes in juice
salt
pepper
balsamic vinegar

Preparation:
Heat your oil and vegetables in large saucepan over med-hi heat until they start to brown (about 10-15 minutes). Add the broth, the lentils and diced tomatoes in the juice and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer until lentils are tender (about 35 minutes). Salt and papper to taste.

Puree with immersion blender or in your food processor. Add balsamic vinegar at the end, as much as you'd like (I usually add a half cup or so).

Garnish with celery leaves and a smidgen of extra vinegar for good looks, like so: