Wait lentil you try this!

I can't compete with you ladies in the photography department, so please bear with me on that front!  This is my go-to, easy-to-remember-all-the-ingredients-and-improvise-if-you-don't-have-something, delicious Italian soup.  Compliments of Giada De Laurentiis (with a few minor modifications):

Lentil Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 14 1/2-oz can diced tomatoes (I used a big Mason jar of stewed tomatoes - about 3 cups - because that's what I had!)
1 pound lentils
11 cups low-salt chicken broth (I used less because I added more tomatoes)
4-6 fresh thyme sprigs (I didn't have this so I just sprinkled dried Italian spices on the veggies)
2/3 cup dried elbow pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan
(and I added a package of turkey pepperoni, chopped, some crushed red pepper and chopped parsley)

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrots, and celery.  Add the garlic, salt, and pepper (and I sprinkled in some dried Italian seasoning) and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5-8 minutes.  Add the tomatoes with their juices.  Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Add the lentils and mix to coat.  Add the broth and stir.  Add the thyme sprigs.  (Throw in the turkey pepperoni, if you're using it.)  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta.  Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper, to taste.  Sprinkle on some chopped fresh parsley if you like.

Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and enjoy!

I make this all the time - it makes a huge pot, and it freezes well too.  I put about 1 1/2 cup portions in Ziploc freezer bags and freeze them flat (they thaw more quickly that way).  Hope you like it!