Lentil Soup

It’s that time of the year again when the weather is changing and the days are getting shorter. Have your cravings for different foods changed? This week, one of my cravings is a warm bowl of lentil soup with carrots, onions, and celery—the perfect fall vegetables. These vegetables are available all year round, but my local farmer’s market has a fantastic, fresh selection when they are in season.

I prefer to use dry beans when I prepare lentils because they don’t need to soak overnight. Plus, lentils only take thirty minutes to cook. As a tip, you can prepare this meal in advance and reheat it in minutes. It also freezes well for a few months, so it can serve as a quick meal on the go!

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
1 large white onion, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
4 large celery stalks, including leaves, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 cup of uncooked lentils, picked and rinsed
2 quarts (64 ounces) chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup of cold water
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano grated cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, and salt for approximately five minutes until the vegetables sweat.

Do you know what it means to sweat vegetables and why? To “sweat” means that the vegetables draw out the moisture at a medium heat and cook with a bit of their own liquid. That is the first step to making soup, stew and minestra. We don’t want the vegetables to caramelize or brown at a high heat.

Add the lentils and stir them in the vegetables and liquid for ten seconds.

Add 2 quarts of your favorite broth (chicken or vegetable) and water. Increase the heat from medium to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot until the lentils are tender for approximately 30 minutes.

Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to the lentils and serve.

The perfect meatless meal for any day of the week.

Photo taken by: Maren Caruso
Lentils used for soups: Justin Cormack