Hearty Lentil Soup
This soup is high in fiber and protein and wonderful for adults who are looking for alternatives to meat proteins. This is also low in fat, (especially if you make your own stock and take the extra step of skimming and discarding the fat). For the strict vegetarians, simply substitute the chicken stock with water or a homemade vegetable stock of your own design.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. dried lentils uncooked
- 1 28 oz can petite diced tomato tomatoes including juice
- 4 quarts chicken stock
- 3 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- pepper to taste
- Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish
- 1 lb. good quality semolina pasta cooked separately
Instructions
- Using a large stock pot, sauté the onion and celery in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tsp of kosher salt until translucent.
- Follow the package instructions for rinsing the lentils.
- Add lentils, stock, tomato, and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and cook for about 45 minutes on a gentle rolling boil.
- The soup is done when the lentils are tender.
- If the soup is too thick, you can add more stock or some water.
- You can cool the soup, and then decant into quart containers. This will make about 6 / 7 quarts of soup. I like to make the soup when I have time, then freeze it, and pull out what I need to have a quick, nutritious, delicious lunch or dinner when you need something fast. (A quart is enough for two generous portions.)
- I like to serve this with a small pasta and grated cheese. Be sure to slightly undercook the pasta as it will continue to cook in the hot soup. (I rinse the cooked pasta in a strainer to remove some starch which allows easier handling when portioning the pasta into the soup bowls.)
- When you have gotten your soup bowls hot (warm water or a plate warmer), then fill each bowl ¾ with hot (reheated if made before and frozen) soup, and then add a portion of pasta to each bowl. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and some grated cheese. I like Pecorino Romano.
- Store any unused pasta in the refrigerator for the next time you enjoy this delicious soup.
- Serves 12.