In this week’s Parsha- Toldos. We read about, when Esav came home tired and very hungry, and he saw that Yaakov was cooking a lentil soup and he said: “Give me to eat!”

He wanted Yaakov to pour the soup down his throat. Yaakov said yes, on condition that Esav will sell him his birthright, his right to be the firstborn. Without hesitation, Esav agrees: “ I am going to die, so why do I need the birthright?”

When I was younger, in school we would always make and eat lentil soup the week of Parshas Toldos. In order to learn more about soups, this cooking blogger has you covered.

Here’s an easy & delicious lentil soup recipe :

Makes 8 Servings

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large carrots, diced
4 large ribs celery, diced
2 small yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon salt, plus additional to taste
2 cups lentils
8 cups water
2 whole bay leaves                                                                                                                                                                                    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir to combine; and then cover and let the vegetables sweat until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the lentils, water, and bay leaves. Bring up to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let simmer, covered, until the lentils begin to fall apart, about 20 minutes.

Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice, and add salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve. Leftovers can be kept refrigerated for 5 days.

Adapted from Kitchn- Red Lentil Soup