– ¼ cup olive oil extra virgin – 1 medium onion finely diced – 2 carrots peeled finely diced – 2 stalks celery leaves removed and finely diced – 2 cloves garlic minced – 2 cups lentils brown or green picked over and rinsed – 14 ounces canned whole tomatoes hand crushed – 7- 8 cups stock vegetable or chicken, low sodium (I used my homemade chicken broth) – 2 bay leaves – 1 head Tuscan kale destemmed and chopped (regular kale is fine too) – salt and pepper to taste – ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional – extra olive oil for drizzling
Ingredients
Cook time: 40 min
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Servings
6
Type
Vegan
prep Time
10 min
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Can I add other other vegetables to this soup? Yes! This soup is a really nice base to add any green vegetable. I added some fresh kale to mine. Spinach (fresh or frozen) or rainbow chard, escarole, or Swiss chard (cut up in small pieces) are really great ideas.
Can canned lentils be used in this recipe? Yes, if you happen to have canned lentils in your pantry, go ahead and use them. The soup will come together much quicker. Simmer it on a lower temperature so the lentils won’t mush up too much, but still get the flavor of the soffrito and the fresh herbs. Do you soak the lentils before cooking? No, you really don’t have to soak them. Lentils cook up so very quickly (30 minutes is all it takes!). Is this soup vegan and gluten-free? Yes, this soup is totally naturally gluten-free. It is vegan if you use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.
RECIPE TIPS AND FAQ’S:
How long does this Italian lentil soup stay fresh? This soup will stay fresh for up to five days in the refrigerator. Can I freeze this soup? Yes, once it completely cools down, you could freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight when ready to heat up. What do Italians traditionally eat on new year’s Day? Typically they eat pork or lentils. Lentils are said to bring good luck for the new year.
RECIPE TIPS AND FAQ’S:
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