Pro tip: that $2 bag of lentils from Aldi can stretch into 4 meals if you treat em right
So I had this night last week after a brutal double shift where I got home at like 11pm and my fridge was basically dead. A half onion, some sad celery, and a bag of lentils that's been sitting in my cabinet for 3 months. I was too tired to even think about going to the store. Threw the lentils in a pot with some water, tossed in the chopped onion and celery, a bay leaf I found in a jar from like 2021, and some garlic powder. Let it simmer while I took a shower. Came back, added a splash of vinegar and salt, and it was honestly better than the $12 soup I got last week from that fancy deli. Made a huge batch for like $2 total, ate it for lunch 3 days in a row and froze the rest. Anybody else got a go-to pantry meal that saves them when the fridge looks like a ghost town?