Lentil Soup Recipe
An Italian New Year’s Eve Tradition
Ring in the abundance of the NEW year! Lentil soup is a celebratory soup. Those little coin-looking legumes symbolizing good luck and prosperity are tossed into a pot with some greens, representing money, and then with magical humble ingredients transformed into a hearty one-bowl meal. Add in crusty bread and a glass of wine (for the adults) and let the celebration begin!
There are many variations of this soup with potatoes, small pasta, tomatoes, kale, and herbs. This is mine. I hope you love it. You can also finish it off with a nice grade of olive oil drizzled on top before serving. A wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano on the side with the nicest of crusty bread and a glass of wine (for the adults). This is what is called peasant food at its finest. Humble ingredients – elevated, enjoyed, celebrated.
This is Noni cooking – humble comfort food.
Why you will love this recipe:
- It is a New Year’s Eve Tradition
- It’s comfort food
- Easy to prepare
- A one-pot meal
- Economical
- Healthy Food
Tools you will need for this recipe:
- Chef knife
- Cutting board
- Paring knife
- Soup pot
- Colander
Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
- Green lentils
- Onion
- Large carrot
- Celery stalks
- Large Potato
- Tomato
- Tomato paste
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh spinach
- Beef broth
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Parmesan rind, optional
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic salt
- Bay leaf
- Salt
- Crushed red pepper
Recipe:
- 1 pound of green lentils, rinsed, cooked and drained
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large (or) 2 small potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tomato, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cups fresh spinach, washed
- 1 parmesan rind (if you have one)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon salt, layered as you go)
- pinch of crushed red pepper
Directions:
In a colander, add the lentils and rinse them well. Add them to a pot and cover with water about 3 inches higher than the lentils. Bring to a boil and cook on medium heat until fork tender.
Meanwhile, in a soup pot, heat the olive oil, chopped onion, diced carrot, diced celery, minced garlic and tomato with a pinch of salt and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent in color. Add in the spinach with a pinch of salt to cook down. After the spinach is cooked down, add the diced potato, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, beef broth, bay leaf, cooked lentils and Parmesan rind. Cover with a lid and cook for about 40 minutes on medium to low heat. The potatoes should be cooked. Remove bay leaf and Parmesan rind before serving.
Personal Chef Tip: If you prefer to add in some meat to this recipe, it is also very good with Italian sausage. Slice up a good quality Italian sausage into slices, fry up the slices and then add into the soup the last 40 minutes.
