Aromatic Lentil Soup
This soup, a meal in itself, is great on cold chilly, wintry day. It can be served alone or with Kalamata olives, bread, and any table cheese you like.1 pound dried brown lentils

¼ cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped fresh tomatoes, with juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon dried mint
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Wash and sort the lentils, put in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, remove from the heat, and drain all the liquid. Return the lentils to the pot and add fresh water to cover- 21/2 to 3 quarts. Half-cover the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon, allspice, and mint; cover and cook 1 hour or more. Add vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat, let stand for 5 minutes, and serve hot.

Serves 6