Zuppa di Lenticchie
New Year's luck in a bowl
Umbrian lentil soup: small brown lentils simmered with soffritto, tomato and rosemary, finished with peppery olive oil.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups small brown lentils
- 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 8 cups water or light stock
- Extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper
Instructions
- 01
Soffritto. Cook the vegetables gently in olive oil for 10 minutes.
- 02
Toast the lentils. Add the lentils and stir a minute so they take on the fat.
- 03
Simmer. Add tomato, rosemary and water. Simmer 35 minutes until tender but not blown out.
- 04
Salt late. Season at the end — salting early keeps lentil skins tough. Finish with raw olive oil.
Larry’s rule: Small lentils hold shape. Big supermarket lentils turn to mush in half the time.