Recipe: lentil soup

Lentil soup, known in Italian as lentil soup, is a popular dish in Italy. It is known in various regions and is eaten all year round, but mainly in the colder months.

It is a simple and nutritious dish that fits well with the Italian culinary tradition of using fresh and local ingredients. In addition, it is a healthy dish, mainly due to the lentils, which are full of vegetable proteins and fibers.

In Italian cuisine, brown or green lentils are usually used for lentil soup. These lentils retain their shape and texture well during cooking, making them ideal for soups and stews.

The 'summum' among lentils are the lenticchie di Castelluccio, a famous variety of green lentils that grow in the area around Castelluccio di Norcia, in the Umbria region.

These lentils are often considered the best lentils in the world because of their taste and texture. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to obtain these lentils in our country, but luckily regular green or brown lentils will also suffice!

Ingredients for the lentil soup

Appetizer for 2 persons 

• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 celery stalk
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp mild olive oil
• 160 grams brown or green lentils or a mix, washed
• 1 liters of vegetable stock
• 1 can of San Marzano tomatoes
• small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 leaves of dried bay leaf
• 2 potatoes (medium size), cut into 2 cm cubes
• black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

Preparation of the lentil soup

1. Finely chop the carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Put 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a (soup) pan and fry the vegetable mixture over low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
2. Grind the mixture finely with a hand blender (if this is difficult, add a dash of stock) and return it to the pan.
3. Mix the lentils with the pureed vegetables and after a minute add the vegetable stock and bay leaves.  
4. Remove the tomatoes from the can and chop the tomatoes finely. Add to the broth.
5. Bring everything slowly to the boil. Check the cooking time of the lentils and let the soup cook for this time (this is usually around 20-30 minutes). Stir the pan every now and then. Add the potato cubes and parsley 10 minutes before time (reserve some parsley for garnish).
6. Once the lentils and potatoes are cooked, remove the bay leaves from the soup.
7. Season the lentil soup with a twist of black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and serve in preheated cups.