Italian Lentils - New Years Classic
Italian Lentil Soup Recipe: Simply Delicious. This hearty Italian Lentil Recipe is not only easy to make but healthy and delicious as well. One bowl is never enough! It's also great served in other ways!
Servings: 4 servings
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
Lentils are delicious topped with eggs, eaten as a vegetarian ragu, served on top of crusty bread, served on top of a green salad and more! Don't let New Years be the only time you make these classic Italian lentils. Keep up the good luck all year around!
Nutrition
Calories: 373kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 891mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2842IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 6mg
