Eli Arlen doesn’t follow a recipe, but here is her general technique. I found her stirring a pot of this soup over the stove when her pressure-cooker recently broke, perhaps from overuse.

Chop 1 onion and 2 carrots into a very fine dice. Add these to a soup pot with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Sauté on medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies start to soften. Add the 2 to 3 cloves of minced garlic, a couple of sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary) and a couple of bay leaves (locally foraged, if possible).

Sauté about 30 seconds until the garlic and herbs are very fragrant. Add about 1/2 cup of white wine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add 2 to 3 cups lentils, stir and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add enough stock to cover by a couple of inches, cover and cook until the lentils are tender, adding more water/stock if necessary, stirring occasionally.

When the lentils are soft, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of molasses, 1 to 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Can be eaten alone or served over rice.