Lentil soup, for a delicious healthy start of the year!
How do you feel in January?
After all the partying, eating and drinking I feel totally shattered. I spent the new year's celebrations in Italy and I have been eating panettone every day for a week.. just too much food.. but it was great!
Yesterday when I said goodbye to Italy I was visualizing my new healthy diet for 2017. When I eat out I am always pleasantly surprised to find new alternative recipes. Italians traditionally eat lots of pasta but you should not think that Italy hasn't changed over the years; the cuisine has become, lighter, healthier and more inventive without losing its Mediterranean healthy style. I have seen many vegan and vegetarian dishes as well as many recipes using millet, spelt and kamut and not just pasta.
This month I am hoping to inspire you with some new healthy recipes and with some healthy cakes too.
I have been eating lots of lentils recently as they are very traditional for new year's day, often combined with sausage or "cotechino" as they signify good luck. Lentils look like small coins so.. I should be quite lucky this year as I have eaten loads of them!
Try this super simple lentil soup which is one of those classic peasant dishes, frugal and really tasty, you can add some sausage whilst you cook the lentils if you wish, bits of bacon too for extra flavour or you can enjoy this vegetarian dish just as it is.
- Prep Time : 10 minutes
- Cook Time : 28 minutes
Ingredients
- dried lentils - 300 g - 1 + 1/2 cup
- carrot - 1
- celery stick - 1
- red onion - 1
- garlic clove - 1
- organic vegetable stock cube - 1
- dried chilly - pinch (optional)
- tomato paste - 1 tbsp
- bay leaves - 2
- chopped parsley or thyme - 1 tbsp
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- water - 1 + 1/2 liter or 6 cups
Instructions
Finely chop the carrot, the onion and the celery.
In a pan stir fry the vegetables, the garlic and the dried chilly (if using) for about 8 minutes with 2 tbsp of olive oil.
Dissolve the stock cube in the hot water. Rinse the lentils under the tap, add them to the pan, then add the stock, the tomato paste, the bay leaves, salt and pepper and the chopped parsley. Put the lid on and cook over a gentle heat for about 20 minutes until the lentils are soft.
When the soup is cooked add 2 tbsp of olive oil and stir well. Enjoy with some delicious wholemeal bread.
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Adoro le lenticchie, fanno bene e sono molto gustose! Per cominciare il nuovo Anno non sono certo mancate a casa mia, le abbiamo gustate con il cotechino! Buonissima la tua zuppa di lenticchie! Un bacione!
Anche io per capodanno, cotechino e lenticchie non possono mancare mai 🙂
My favourite! Have been eating lots of lentils and beans lately..this one looks filling, healthy and very tasty, Alida.
Yes lentils are so good for you, I love them!
buona e confortevole, perfetta per questi giorni freddi, prendo nota !
Si anche per non mangiare sempre proteine animali.
Look maravilloso Alida!!
Adoro lentils , really deliziosi!!
Tantissimi auguri !!
L’Epifania over this week I’ll be stocking up the fridge with loads of fruit and veg. Fish, seafood, pulses and poultry will also be on the menu. I am already craving lighter food and a gorgeous lentil soup like yours is perfect.
Yes we all do now, light is good at least for a couple of weeks. Buon anno!
Christmas is always so excessive on the food front, it is lovely to have some simple, healthy food in January! Love your lentils and looking forward to seeing what other wonderful dishes you cook up in 2017 xx
Thanks Kate. I also enjoy some piece and quiet in January after the all that busy time at Christmas time!
Actually made this tonight, with a couple adjustments.
Used 1/2 an onion instead of a full one.
Added 1/2 of a jalapeño and red bell pepper since they needed to be used up.
Subbed the bullion + water for homemade veggie broth (used 8 C instead of 6).
Used fresh thyme and parsley from the garden but added dried oregano and basil.
Delicious.
My version was spicier than the original, but very good for such simple ingredients.
It does sound delicious Becca. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Oh an also used butter instead of olive oil!
Continuing my week using recipes from My Little Italian Kitchen, made this for lunch and went down a treat with my home made bread! Yum! Xxx
Thanks lovely, very pleased you liked it. Hope all is well with you both xx