Gotta love those lentils … 3 March 2007

Lentil soup
Serves about 4
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

 

Or if you want to sound fancy - zuppa di lenticchie in Italian. We modified this recipe from Contaldo’s version.

This recipe is a meal in its own or you can serve it with some bread (sometimes in our case, plain steamed rice) on the side. It is fully vegetarian, yet filling and very satisfying. I urge you to try the vegetarian version and not to give to using any meat to flavor the stock. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how mildly sweet it is.

We love this dish because it is very light and great for dinner. Dui likes this dish because of the sweetness (and she gets her dose of veggies too!)

For those who are scared of lentils (or beans in general), lentils are among the most easy digested legumes and it doesn’t take long for even sensitive tummies to adjust to it. Lentils are also a great source of protein!

If you are in Manila, you can buy lentils from most grocery stores. Look for the green or brown kind, which are flattish-roundish. Or you can try Assad Mini Mart where they always have it in stock (we especially like the dal masoor which is pinkish-orange in color and turns a rich yellow when cooked).

You need:
Extra virgin olive oil, (4 tablespoons plus a little extra for garnish)
Red onion, 1 small piece, finely chopped
Carrot, 1 piece, finely chopped
Celery, 1 stalk, finely chopped
Leek, ¼, finely chopped
Cherry tomatoes, 4 pieces, quartered and squashed (or any tomatoes will do)
Garlic, 1 clove, crushed
Green or brown lentils, 200 grams (or 7 oz)
Vegetable stock, 1 liter (1 4/3 pint)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Celery leaves, a few, finely chopped (as garnish)

How to prepare:

• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and sweat the onion until softened.
• Stir in the carrot, celery and leeks. Cook, stirring, for about a minute.
• Add the tomatoes and garlic, followed by the lentils.
• Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and gently simmer for about 35 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Note: We make homemade vegetable stock by simply boiling carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, leeks, herbs like basil and thyme, pepper and a little salt in lots of water. It’s a great way to use vegetables beyond their prime (i.e. forgotten and somewhat dried out vegetables in the crisper, or half cut up carrots or potatoes, or the already harvested basil which have started to wilt.)

• Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary
• Serve garnished with the celery leaves and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. We also like to drizzle about half a lemon/lime or with a little balsamic vinegar into it to give a little tartness.

Modified somewhat from Gennaro Contaldo’s Passione, p. 24