Italian Lentil Soup Recipe

Name: Italian Lentil Soup Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin); 1 medium onion (finely diced); 2 carrots (finely diced); 2 stalks celery (finely diced); 3-4 cloves garlic (minced); ½ cup white wine; 14 ounces canned whole tomatoes (2 cups, hand crushed); 2 cups lentils (brown or green) (picked over and rinsed); 8 cups stock (vegetable or chicken, low sodium); 1 bay leaf; ½ teaspoon thyme (dried); 4-5 leaves basil (fresh); 1 bay leaf; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional); salt and pepper to taste; extra olive oil for drizzling; 2 tablespoons parsley (for topping); 2 tablespoons grated cheese (for topping, optional)