Easy lentil soup with green beans and cherry tomato

This tastes very fresh and is also filling. It was a great way to use up some of the summer harvest from our garden (my harvest being a glut of cherry tomatoes & beans, obviously!).

First, take:

• 2 cups lentils
• 5 cups water
• 1 piece dried kelp
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Cook together for about 90 minutes or more, until lentils are soft (but still retain shape). The kelp will likely fall apart during cooking.

Then, take:

• about 20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• large handful of green beans, chopped small
• 1 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 1 t salt

Saute the beans and tomatoes in olive oil for about 7 minutes (until tomatoes have mostly fallen apart, but beans are still fairly crisp). If/when they start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add water. Add 3 cups of the cooked lentils. (Save the rest for something else!) Add the turmeric and salt and simmer together for another 5 minutes or so. I was really happy how well this came out given how simple it was to make--along with some roasted vegetables, this was our main course!

PS: I find the extra lentils plus some sticky rice seasoned with mirin make an excellent lunch on workdays.