As promised: Emily, this first recipe has way too much detail, but as Pascal said, "I didnt have time to make it shorter." I wrote it for a friend in Scotland who is a novice cook. So you get the whole shebang. Lentil Minestrone with Greens (Martha Rose Shulman) 1 T. olive oil 4 pieces of smoked bacon, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 large or two small carrots, minced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 (14-oz.) can tomatoes, seeded and chopped, with juice 1/2 tsp. dried thyme (1 teaspoon fresh leaves) 1/2 tsp. dried oregano (1 teaspoon fresh leaves) 3/4 pound lentils (about 1 1/2 cups), picked over and rinsed (Rinse in a strainer - you're checking for gravel mainly) 1 Parmesan rind a few sprigs each of fresh flat-leaf parsley and fresh thyme 1 bay leaf a few pinches of cayenne pepper (to taste) Salt Freshly ground pepper (to taste) 1/2 pound Swiss chard, stalks removed, leaves washed and chopped 1/2 cup small pasta or Arborio rice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven (a fairly big one) and add the bacon, onion and carrot. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes or a little longer and stir in the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until the garlic smells fragrant and is beginning to color, about 1 minute, and stir in the tomatoes, dried thyme and dried oregano. Turn the heat to medium and bring the tomatoes to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell fragrant. Stir in the lentils and 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. You can go this far with the recipe up to 4 days ahead. [Very handy!] Tie the Parmesan rind, parsley and thyme sprigs and bay leaf together with kitchen twine or tie in a piece of cheesecloth. Add to the soup. Add the cayenne, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt, about 2 teaspoons to begin with (you will probably add more) and simmer another 15-30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and the broth fragrant. Add pepper to the soup and stir in the chard and pasta. Continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes until the pasta is cooked through. Taste. Is there enough salt? Garlic? Adjust the seasonings and remove the Parmesan rind bundle. Stir in the chopped parsley. Serve, topping each bowlful with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. This soup will taste wonderful for several days after (great leftovers). It will get thick but you can thin it with water. Or you can leave it thick and use as a topping like hummus for bruschetta. Cut thick slices of good, crusty country bread, toast, rub toast with a cut garlic clove. Warm the thick soup, spread on the bread, sprinkle on some Parmesan and eat. Things to do differently: Leave out the bacon for vegetarians. It will be fine. Substitute bits of ham or a mildly seasoned sausage for the bacon. You can either slice the sausage or peel the skin off and cook it loose or use loose sausage you buy. Add celery with the carrot and onion. If you buy (or can find) some fresh thyme, just use it and skip the dried herbs. Strip off the little leaves and put some in early then add more fresh sprigs later in the bouquet garni (that's the bunch of stuff you tie together). Use le puy lentils if you can find them. Those are really tiny green French ones, very tender. In bulk they're cheap but if you can't find them or can only find an expensive package use regular green lentils. They'll still be good. The Parmesan rind (the crusty edge on the fat end of the wedge) gives incredible flavor to a meatless broth. Always save Parmesan rinds! You can take it and all the fresh herbs and make a little bag out of a clean hankie or similar cheap white fabric, or stuff everything in an oversized mesh teaball or take clean string and tie all the herbs by the stems and just dump the Parmesan rind in the liquid. Swiss chard might be called Silverbeet in the U.K. It is in Australia. But spinach will work just great and you might find spinach leaves already cleaned for salad (timesaver!) Instead of pasta or rice (can actually be any white rice) use cubes of potato if you like - white baking potatoes peeled or little red potatoes unpeeled. This really is a very forgiving recipe. Feel free to experiment. Also, if you have a spoonful or two of tomato paste you could add that in with the tomatoes. Or if there's a bit of leftover tomato juice in the refrigerator or chicken broth, use that as part of the 8 cups of liquid. And if you have a little basil or sundried tomato pesto, stir that in at the end. But just a spoonful or so. Nice addition but totally unnecessary. Gilding the lily. Okay, so there's a nice comfort soup. Serve with hearty bread and a cheap red wine and you have a meal. Cookies or ice cream or pears or little tarts with coffee make a perfect dessert (if you have room). Moosewood Lentil Soup 3. c. raw lentils, rinsed 7 c. water or stock 2 t. salt 2 t. minced garlic 1 c. chopped onion 1 c. minced celery 1 c. chopped carrots Lots of freshly ground black pepper 1-1/2 c. chopped, fresh tomatoes, or equivalent canned 2 T. dry red wine 2 T. lemon juice 1-1/2 T. molasses (I think it can do very well without this.) 1 T. wine vinegar, or more to taste (Old recipe  Balsamic is nice, but less than 1 T. to start.) Combine raw lentils, water or stock, and salt and simmer, covered, for 3 to 4 hours. Then steam the garlic, onion, celery and carrots together in a saucepan, and add to lentils. Continue to simmer on low heat for about an hour. Add black pepper, tomatoes, dry red wine, lemon juice, molasses, and wine vinegar about 30 min. before serving. Sprinkle extra vinegar and freshly-chopped green onions onto each serving. [I donÂt make this by MoosewoodÂs method. Use ½ butter ½ olive oil (or all olive) and sauté onion, celery and carrots. DonÂt add garlic until the last minute. Sautéeing garlic too long brings out volatile bitter oils. Heat water to boil and pour over sautéed vegetables to bring up any good crusty bits. (Works better with meat, but oh well . . .) Add lentils and cook 30-45 minutes. Check for tenderness and cook longer if needed. Add remaining ingredients, checking after each for taste. With butter or olive oil you wouldnÂt need all the wine, lemon juice, vinegar.] Lentil Vegetable Soup The recipe and text are from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, by Ina Garten. This is a delicious and hearty winter soup that gets a lot of its flavor and texture from French lentils. They are the small green ones that are available from specialty food stores or by mail order. French lentils make this soup taste fresher and less starchy than the traditional American ones. Note: As lentil soup sits, it will thicken; just add more chicken stock to get the right consistency.Red wine vinegars vary greatly in strength. Put half the vinegar into the soup, taste it, and then add the rest if you want more. Yield: 8 to 10 servings Ingredients: 1 pound French green lentils 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 large onions) 4 cups chopped leeks, white part only (2 leeks) 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves) 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus additional for drizzling on top 1 Tablespoon kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried 1 teaspoon ground cumin 3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks) 3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots) 3 quarts chicken stock 1/4 cup tomato paste 2 Tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar Method: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese. In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain. In a large stockpot on medium heat, sauté onions, leeks and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and sauté for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Check the seasonings. Add the red wine and serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan. Lentil Soup with Sun-Dried Tomatoes Recipe By :Prevention Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion -- chopped 2 cloves garlic -- minced 4 cups water or broth 3 cups water 2 cups dried lentils 1 cup carrots -- sliced 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon dried basil 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes -- drained and slivered 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar salt 1 cup very small shell pasta 1. Warm oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté 3 minutes. Add broth, water, lentils, carrots, oregano, basil, rosemary, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes. Simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir often. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt and more vinegar, if desired. 2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and stir into the soup. Makes about 12 cups. Sausage Soup With Spinach and Wild Rice Serving Size : 8 Categories : One-Dish Meals Soups And Stews Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice 1 1/2 cups water 1 pound Italian sausage (can use lowfat turkey) 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 3 garlic cloves -- crushed 3 cups water 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon dried basil 3 16-oz. cans fat free, less-sodium chicken broth 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes -- undrained 1 cup lentils (optional) 12 cups torn spinach -- (one bag) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper grated fresh Parmesan cheese Bring 1-1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add wild rice; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender. Set aside. Cook the sausage in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Drain sausage; set aside. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté for 3 minutes. Add garlic, and saute for 1 minute. Add the sausage, 3 cups water, and the next 5 ingredients (water through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in cooked wild rice, spinach, salt, and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls; sprinkle with cheese. Description: "BakingCircle Member Recipe" Vegetable Soup With Pasta and Greens Recipe By : Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:55 Categories : One-Dish Meals Soups And Stews Vegetarian Entrees Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 carrots halved lengthwise and sliced 2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 red bell pepper, diced 14 1/2 ounces can stewed tomatoes, chopped with juices 2 cups chicken broth 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cups shredded chard, spinach or kale 1/2 cup orzo or other small pasta 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese In a nonstick kettle, heat the oil until hot but not smoking over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and cook, stirring frequently, until the carrots are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and bell pepper and cook, stirring freqently, until the pepper is tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook, stirring freqently, until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, 1 1/2 cups of water, the basil and salt and bring to a boil. Stir in the greens and pasta, return to a boil, and cook until the pasta is just tender, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the parmesan on top. Great reheated. Just add more water as the pasta will continue to absorb liquid. I have more recipes, but this should get you started. The Martha Shulman recipe and the Ina Garten recipe are probably closest to what youÂre looking for. The sausage soup is also very good, a real tried-and-true. I have varied that recipe in all kinds of ways and itÂs never failed me. The final recipe is my variation of a Moosewood one. It doesnÂt have lentils, but itÂs very good. Worth considering (when spinach is safe again). Carol

Red/orange lentils tend to break apart during cooking, especially if they are over cooked, so they work well in soup to help thicken it, rather than remaining in disks like green/brown lentils do. I sprout them first and then use them in soup, something similar to cloudy christine's recipe. Another recipe I use them in: PRIEST'S SOUP (source: "The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean" by Sheryl and Mel London) serves 6-8 6 c. chicken stock 1 c. dried peeled split small red lentils, picked over and washed 1/4 c. long-grain rice, either white or brown 3 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings 2 T. finely minced parsley salt to taste 1/8 t. cayenne 1/4 t. sweet paprika 2 T. olive oil 2 T. butter In a 5-qt. Dutch oven, heat 4 c. stock to the boiling point. Add the lentils and rice and bring to a boil again, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10-minutes. Add only two of the sliced onions, stir and continue to cook for 20-minutes more. Then add the remaining chicken stock, parsley, salt, cayenne and paprika and continue to cook for 10-minutes more. Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter in an iron skillet and add the remaining sliced onion. Saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is brown and crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve the soup in large bowls with a sprinkling of the brown onions and a few grains of additional paprika for color. -Grainlady

I make a baked lentil spaghetti I call "Lentils Bourginon." Cook about a cup of lentils. (See directions below) Cook enough spaghetti to serve 8. For this dish, I break the spaghetti into thirds before cooking. When both lentils and spaghetti are finished, in the pot you drained the spaghetti out of, combine lentils, spaghetti, a package of shredded italian cheese, and two large jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce spiked with 1/4-1/2 cup burgundy or other rich red wine. Add more tomato sauce if you think you need it. Spread into a large casserole dish. Sprinkle lightly with parmesean, and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 min. or more, until hot and bubbly throughout. Can use shell maccaroni for a more "goulash" type dish. Can use 4 1/2 cups homeade spaghetti sauce. Can add sauteed vegetables like zuchhini, mushrooms, onions and peppers, or spinach. Rice, Lentil and Spinach Pilaf (Great stuffing for acorn or delicata squash) 1/2 cup green or other lentils cooked with 1 cup water or bouillon 1 cups Basmatic rice, cooked with 2 cups water, salt and pepper to taste. 1 cup diced tomatoes 2 onions 2 clovs garlic 4 celery stalks or green or red pepper strips 2 tsp. cumin 1/2 tsp. cinnamon Grated zest of one lemon 3-4 cups spinach or other greens Sautee veggies in 1 TBLSP olive oil or 3/4 cups veggie stock if you're watching your fat. When veggies are cooked through, add spices and then cooked lentils and rice. Put in a casserole or stuff into cooked squash. If serving as a casserole, can add sauteed cubed squash or carrots. Top with ground toasted nuts if desired--cashews sunflower seeds or walnuts. (from the "More With Less" Mennonite cookbook) Basic cooked lentils 1 cup lentils 2 cups water (or bouillon) 1 bay leaf 1 tsp. salt, added after lentils are cooked Bring water to a boil, add lentils, simmer 40 min. or unti lentils are tender, adding more water if needed. Add the following flavor options to the lentils: Curried lentils Saute together 1/4 cup margarine (whoa! how about 1 TBLSP olive oil!) 1 large onion 1 clove garlic 1 tsp. salt (or less) 1-2 TBLSP curry powder 2 TBLSP lemon juice Serve over rice garnished with chopped parsley or cilantro Sweet and Sour Lentils 1/4 cup apple or pineapple juice 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup brown sugar (or less) 1 clove garlic 1/8 tsp. cloves sauteed onion, if desired and celery and peppers or other veggies. Heat til bubbly. Serve over rice. This is really good. Easy lentil stew 1/2 lb. diced ham, browned sausage, browned ground beef, or 1/2 cup fake hamburger 3/4 cup tomato paste 2 cups water 1/4 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. salt (or less) 1 onion, chopped and sauteed 2 stalks celery, (optional, or whatever other veggies you like to add to the saute) 1 clove garlic, minced. Bring to a biol, reduce heat and simmer 20-30 min. until vegetables are tender. Serve over rice or noodles.

All great help! I used a bit of everyone's advice and wound up with 3 burners going with beans! I cooked the 3 kinds of lentils separately along with some other smaller grains I can't name or say. The red lentils were split and disappeared during cooking. The adzuki beans were cooked separately because I was afraid they would turn everything pink (rightfully so!)and they were an in-between size. The other small red beans, garbanzo and navy beans were cooked together and kept their color. I froze most of them and used one batch of larger beans in soup and tried to make a cold salad out of the lentils, smaller beans and grains. Overnight, they became too salty! Am adding more cooked beans to them to dilute the salt. I added pressed garlic, chopped sweet onion, vinegar, lemon juice, oil and herbs but I'm not impressed yet. I'll have to keep working on getting the taste balanced better. If you have a favorite dressing for a cold bean salad like this, please share!