Lentil Soup and Grilled Cheese

This is one of those comfort food meals.  Not that I needed the comfort but it is just so good and you know I love soup.  This time the crock pot was used, an appliance that is not used very much in our household.  That is mainly because of time, anything requiring a crock pot takes all day and it is not that often that I plan that far in advanced in order for it to be done by dinner.

The recipe it self it pretty simple for the soup...
2 medium onions -- chopped
2 stalks celery -- chopped
4 whole carrots -- chopped
2 whole parsnips -- peel and chop
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 1/2 cups lentils -- rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 teaspoons vegetable bouillon cube
8 cups water

Combine all ingredients in the insert of the slow cooker. Cover, and cook on high until the lentils are soft and the vegetables are tender, about 5 hours. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Add additional heated vegetable broth if the soup is too thick.
(taken from justslowcooking.com)

And if I do say so it was pretty tasty.  I also added in some barley just because barley and lentils go together so well I figured why not.

Then add it with these awesome grilled cheeses that I made, it was quite a meal.

 

Lately I have been wanted grilled onions, so I made some for these grilled cheese and they are amazing.  Onions and melted cheese just go together so well.  I also love tomatoes on my grilled cheese whether they are fresh tomatoes, salsa or stewed (as shown above), they just add something so great to grilled cheese.  It is like dipping a grilled cheese in tomato soup.  

So anyway, I recommend this meal, it's easy and tasty and budget friendly.