As it's getting cold here, lets try some soups from the balkans to warm up

vSPICY LENTIL SOUP

Serves 6.
2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed 1 medium to large onion,
chopped, 2 garlic cloves, crushed, 2 stalks celery, chopped , 2 carrots chopped,
1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds, 6 oz. lentils ( red,
brown,yellow, those you like), washed, 5 cups vegetable stock, a dash of hot
chili powder,1 bay leaf salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds, and when
they begin to pop, add the onion and cook until golden. Add the garlic, carrots,
and celery, and cook gently for 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining spices and
cook 1 minute, then add the lentils.
Pour in the stock. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat immediately and let it simmer for one hour.
Remove the bay leaf and, in batches, process the soup to a puree. Gently reheat
the soup. When you serve it, garnish it with fresh onion chopped, parsley
chopped, and a spoon of yogurt or sour cream. You can also have your soup
without processing.

Monastery style bean soup

200g white beans, 2-3 carrots, 1/2 a celery, 1 onion, 1-2 tomatoes, 1-2 peppers,
1-2 hot chillies , parsley, mint, olive oil, salt.

Soak the beans in cold water for 3-4 hours, drain and pour fresh water. Boil (in
an earthware) pot together with oil, finely chopped carrots, onion and celery.
The sliced peppers are added later; the grated tomatoes and mint, when the beans
have turned tender. Salt and boil for another 15-20 min. Serve sprinkled with
finely chopped parsley.

Vegetable soup

Ingredients: 2-3 potatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1/2 celery,1peppers, 1/4 of a
medium-sized cabbage, 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, 1 beetroot, 1 spoonful flour, 1 tsp
paprika, 100g yoghurt, 1 egg, 100g kashkaval(yellow cheese), olive oil, salt,
parsley.

Put the diced celery and carrots into salt boiling water together with the
finely cut cabbage and peppers. When soft, add the diced potatoes. Boil the
diced beetroot. Stew the finely chopped onion until soft, then add the flower,
paprika and grated tomatoes. Add the mixture to the boiling vegetables and boil
for another half hour. Add the beetroot at the end. Thicken with an egg beaten
in yoghurt. Serve with finely chopped parsley and grated kashkval.

Spinach soup

1/2 spinach, 60g butter, 2 spoon flour, 0.5l milk, pepper, salt.

Boil the finely chopped spinach in salt water. Brown the butter and flour, then
add the spinach puree. Dilute with milk and half the spinach water. Boil for
another 5-10 minutes and season with pepper. Serve with bread cubes fried in
butter. The same recipe may may be used for nettles.