Rich bean soups are classic winter comfort food. They are filling, healthy, and inexpensive, making them a worthy addition to the menu rotation. The downside to dried bean cookery is the time it takes to soak and then cook beans.

An easy, money-saving solution is lentils, which you can find easily at any grocery store, next to the dried beans. Brown lentils — the type you'll most likely find in inexpensive bags next to the rice — don't require any soaking (although a good rinse is recommended), and are cooked to tender perfection in about a half hour. Green lentils are a little thicker and firmer than brown lentils (and often a little pricier), so they take a few minutes more to cook. Red lentils are softer, best used for sauces or stews.

Today's recipe for Smoky Lentil Soup is all plant-based, which means it's truly jam-packed with health-boosting foods but it's also full of flavor. It gets its smokiness from smoked paprika instead of the traditional ham bone, and a little bit of cumin.

Finely chopped mushrooms add meaty depth of flavor, and I use small cubes of butternut squash instead of classic carrots for just a touch of sweetness. A bonus: the entire dish cost about $10 to make, and you'll probably have leftovers. Meatless Monday fans, this may be your new favorite dish.

Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian — melissadarabian.net — is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy."