Happy Mother's Day - soup in honor of Mom

It's Mother's Day and what better way to honor my mother than to make soup?

As a child, and even now, my mom's go-to dish that was a must for every dinner was soup. It would be different types of soup, depending on either her mood or the seasonal selection. No matter what the ingredients, my mom's soup was always a welcome sight on any day. If it was warm, cooled opo soup would accompany fried fish.

If it was a cold, wintry day, you could expect to see sup mang cua (crab asparagus soup). Delicious in every way, you could practically feel the love with every spoonful. Whenever I make soup, I think of my mom.

What better soup to honor mom than lentil soup? Lentils? It may seem like a stretch, especially since lentil soup is something foreign in Vietnamese cuisine. This soup however, is incredibly hearty, healthy, and made with love - something my mother's soup always embody!

Lentils are part of the legume family, and are grains that are high in protein and fiber. Cooking lentils is really simple - just soak the lentils in water, remove off any debris and particles, and boil for ~40 minutes. They are extremely hearty and are used often in curries, stews, or in stir fries.

To make this soup, it is extremely flexible - if you don't like certain ingredients, or want more vegetables, modify as you choose. I prefer my soups to be on the chunkier side, so I like having lots of veggies in my soup!

Lentil soup (modified from Allrecipes):

Ingredients:
- Seasoning
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 tbsp 21 seasoning salute (Trader Joes)
1/2 tbsp oregano
1/2 tbsp onion powder
1/4 cup of olive oil

1 potato, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 cup of corn
1 cup red lentils, soaked for 20 minutes
6 cups of water
1 tbsp tomato paste

Protocol:
1. In a soup pot, warm olive oil
2. Add seasoning ingredients (everything from celery to garlic) and cook until onions have sweated (look translucent)
3. Add in bay leaves, additional seasoning, potato, corn, and lentils - stir around for a minute
4. Add in water and tomato paste and bring to a boil - once boiling, simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring ocassionally
5. Once lentils cooked through (taste test if unsure), taste test and add additional salt if needed.

Hope everyone is having a great Mother's Day! Happy eating all!