This is a souper Sunday afternoon soup. It smells great while it's cooking, tastes terrific for dinner and makes a great weekday lunch.
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 4people
Ingredients
1cupFrench Lentilsor green lentils
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
1mediumOniondiced - optional
3clovesgarlicminced
1largecarrotdiced
1stalkcelerydiced
2teaspoonsdried thyme
1pinchkosher salt
1pinch ground black pepper
1 rindParmesan cheeseor 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
114oz candiced tomatoes
2small bay leaves
5cupsvegetable brothor chicken broth
1/4cupbalsamic vinegar
Instructions
Rinse the lentils and pick out any small stones. I love the look of these beautiful French lentils (which I found at the Mississippi Market Coop), but green lentils work great too
Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, carrots and celery - sauté until they begin to soften - about 5 minutes
Add the minced garlic, thyme, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Sauté for a couple of minutes to toast the herbs
Add the tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes become fragrant and the liquid reduces a bit - about 10 minutes
Add the lentils and parmesan rind (if adding)
Add the broth and bay leaves
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the lentils are al dente (or longer if you like softer lentils) about an hour. Remove the parmesan rind and bay leaves
Serve with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and your favorite crusty bread. Yum!
Notes
This recipe is adapted from a NY Times Cooking recipe