Classic Italian Style Lentils (New Year Tradition)
Updated Feb 14, 2025, Published Dec 30, 2020
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You don’t want to miss this classic Italian-style Lentil recipe (a New Year Tradition)! Italians eat lentils for New Year for good luck. Make this easy, nutritious vegetarian recipe all year long!
If you want prosperity and good luck in the coming year- you must eat these lentils on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day! Serve with no knead bread, and enjoy.
Classic Italian Style Lentils for New Year’s Eve
It’s a tradition to eat lentils for New Year’s Eve. We make this recipe for all seasons of the year.
The little coin-shaped legumes bring good fortune in the form of money. They are served on the last day of the year to bring good luck for the upcoming year. They are sometimes served with cotechino, a boiled sausage typical in northern Italy.
We make it with and without our home’s cotechino (sausage). This is a vegetarian version of the recipe without meat. You can always add the sausage on top if desired.
Simple Ingredients
- Dried brown lentils
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Olive oil
- Bay Leaf
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Tomato paste
- Water
- Salt
- Parsley (garnish)
How to Make Classic Italian-Style Lentils
Follow the step-by-step photos and see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for more instructions.
Simple Italian Lentils Recipe starts with a Soffritto.
This humble lentil dish starts with a soffritto– the Italian term for a mixture of chopped vegetables sautéed gently in oil. The mix of vegetables generally includes onions, carrots, and celery.
The word means “under fried.” This method creates a tasty base for any soup. The added benefit is adding extra veggies to the dish!
Make the Soup
Add the lentils, tomato paste, and herbs.
Pour water over the top of the veggies and lentils.
Add the herbs and stir to combine.
Cook until lentils and veggies are soft.
Trust me, friends, you will want to make this filling and satisfying lentil recipe. Once you do, it will be a recipe go-to!
Lentil Variety
Brown and green lentils are typically used to make this stew, as they are firm and retain their shape when cooking.
Red or yellow lentils are softer and cook faster. For this soup, they tend to fall apart and sort of dissolve into the soup. You can still use the orange variety, but it will change the consistency.
You will also love our Italian sausage lentil soup!
Health Benefits of Lentils
Lentils are considered a superfood. They are an excellent source of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc. They’re also a great source of plant-based protein and fiber. Try adding them to your diet.
Another way I enjoy lentils is over a thick slice of no knead bread and a fried egg. You can make this a breakfast/ brunch item OR a tasty dinner!
Try this recipe Lentils Toast with Fried Egg Tasty lentil stew scooped over hearty bread and topped with a perfectly cooked egg are your brunch and dinner dreams! Simple, nutritious, and delicious. Don’t wait to make it.
How to Store Cooked Lentils
Lentils are a great make-ahead meal! After lentils are cooked: cover and refrigerate within two hours of cooking.
Dried lentils that have been cooked can be kept in the fridge for 5-7 days or frozen for up to 6 months.
Label with the date and store in an air-tight container made for freezing food. Having lentils in the freezer makes them easy to add to any meal.
The bay leaf and herbs add a savory flavor that makes this dish hearty and delicious!
Italian Soup Recipes
Fill up your soup bowls and prepare a meal the whole family will love.
More Italian soups you’ll love: Italian Pastina Soup Recipe (with Chicken broth), Classic Italian Minestrone Soup, Blender Tomato Soup Recipe (Vitamix), Pasta e Ceci (Italian Pasta with Chickpea Soup),and BEST Bacon, Potato, and Kale Zuppa Toscana.
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Italian Lentils – New Years Classic
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups dried brown lentils, 250 grams
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 sprig thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 5 cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped for serving
Instructions
- Place the onion, carrot, and celery in a large saucepan or soup pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté gently on low heat until the vegetables are very soft and the onion is somewhat translucent, but not colored. Add the bay leaf, rosemary, thyme, tomato paste, dry lentils, and 5 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook until the lentils are tender but retain their shape (this can take as little as 20 minutes to upwards of 35 minutes, depending on the lentils. I know that seems like a big time difference but all dried beans cook a little differently).
- Keep checking them and add more water if necessary. Add salt to taste only once the lentils are tender, otherwise, they will remain tough. Stir through the chopped parsley and serve as you like (see notes for ideas).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Growing up in an Italian family myself, lentils are always a must on New Years! These came out perfect.
Yes, we also enjoy them all year-around.
Thank you for this amazing recipe! My family and I loved it! I added some chicken broth in addition to the water and some pancetta too but it was so tasty that it wasn’t even necessary! Grazie mille!
Prego! I’m happy you loved it. Here is to good luck this year.
I made this with cotechino and mashed potatoes for the holidays and the lentils were wonderful! Easy recipe to follow, will certainly make again.
Happy you loved it! Yes, it is a great recipe to make often. Enjoy.
I really like the recipe but I also like your beliefs and stick-with-it attitude you had in the 7th grade. I am sure it guides you to this day.
Yes, it does :). Thanks, Chuck.
I saw this post and it inspired me to make the recipe for New Year’s Eve! I’ve made many lentil soup recipes, but hands down this was the best!
I also added a parm rind…I actually add them to almost everything and think I need parm rind anonymous!
I’m thrilled you loved the recipe. We enjoy it all year ;). Happy New Year, Robin!
So good, thank you!
My pleasure! Enjoy all year.
Tasty, healthy, and easy to make!
My husband won’t eat vegetarian so I added bacon to this and it was awesome. Served it over bread with an egg like Elena posted and it was a complete meal and so simple to make!
Happy he loved it! We often add pancetta in Italy too! Enjoy.
These were delicious! Very easy to make and full of flavor. I will definitely make them again! And I love hearing about your traditions 🇮🇹❤️
Thank you Christina!
I am so happy you enjoyed them!
Elena
So good! A big hit with my family too ☺
I am so happy Donna! I hope you can make it again!
Elena
So happy everyone loved it!
I love lentils. I make a version of this with a sweet potato cut into small chunks for sweetness and veg. or chicken broth instead of water. Everything else the same as this. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over top when served …Yummy
Happy you loved it! Happy New Year!
I love that!