• Cooking oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup celery + leaves, chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, cored and chopped
• 8 strips bacon, optional
• 3-4 cups cooked lentils (any color)
• 4 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
• 1-2 medium zucchini, chopped
• Mushrooms, chopped, optional
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion, carrot, celery, fennel, and bacon in cooking oil until starting to soften. Add rest of the ingredients and simmer until tender, approximately 20- 30 minutes. Season to taste.