Lentil and pancetta soup with potatoes, Grandma’s recipe for a nourishing, rich and tasty one-dish meal. The lentil, pancetta and potato soup, served with many flavored bread croutons made with crusty bread, is a dish that’s always appreciated at home: so creamy and comforting, like Bean and Potato Soup or the chickpea soup, this lentil and pancetta soup is easy to make and delicious to eat. Mediterranean cuisine, as you probably already know, is full of dishes that highlight legumes, grains or vegetables — tasty and healthy meals like Pasta and Chickpea Soup, and even the simplest form of pizza, the Margherita Pizza, not to mention the countless homemade bread recipes. Today, to enrich our journey among legume recipes, we’ll prepare the lentil, pancetta and potato soup, a quick and simple recipe from my grandmother, made with a good vegetable broth and without soaking, perfect for serving a healthy, fiber-rich and nourishing one-dish meal. And if you want, with the same lentils you can also make a pasta and lentils dish fit for a king. Ready to go to the kitchen? Let’s discover how to make Grandma’s lentil and pancetta soup. If you want to stay updated on my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
Also take a look:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 5
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
Ingredients to make the lentil and pancetta soup
- 2 1/2 cups red lentils (or green)
- 1 medium onion (about 100 g (3.5 oz))
- 1 large carrot (about 70 g (2.5 oz))
- 2 stalks celery (about 50 g total (1.8 oz))
- 6 1/3 cups vegetable broth
- 1.5 lb potatoes
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt (if necessary)
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 3 leaves bay leaves
- 7 oz pancetta
Tools
- Pot
Preparation
If possible for this recipe, use a cast-iron or earthenware pot, or alternatively a good heavy-bottomed pot that will retain heat even after the stovetop is turned off.
Peel and rinse the carrots, onion and celery, then finely chop everything. Put the chopped mixture into a pot and add a drizzle of oil, let it soften over low heat, then add the next ingredients.
Add the pancetta and once it has lightly blanched, add the rinsed and well-drained lentils (and sift them if necessary).
Pour in the hot broth, and add any aromatics you have available. Cook for about 20 minutes, then add the potatoes. Pour in more hot broth if necessary and
continue cooking for another 20–30 minutes. Turn off the stovetop, keeping the lid on the pot; this way the lentils will continue to cook.
Now prepare the croutons.
If possible use stale bread a few days old and cut it into cubes — the quantity is indicative.
Put them in the air fryer basket and give them a few sprays of oil, a light sprinkle of salt and add dried spices to taste.
If you have a pre-salted roast spice mix available, you can use that instead of the spices and salt. Cook at 356°F for 6–7 minutes, turning them occasionally. If you bake them in the oven, increase the cooking time until golden. Serve the soup with the croutons or with good country bread, a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper.
Storage and tips
Store any leftover soup in the fridge in an airtight container and consume within 2–3 days after reheating. I never freeze legumes, but if you want you can: once cooled portion the lentils into airtight containers and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat as needed, in the fridge or directly in a pot over low heat with a little water.
To make pasta for 5 people: use half the amount of lentils and replace with hot broth or water, bring to a boil and stir in 1 lb (about 450 g) of pasta. Cook to al dente, adding hot water or broth as needed.
For a thinner lentil soup, add more hot broth. For a vegetarian or vegan version, omit the pancetta.
If you want to stay updated on my recipes, follow me on:
pinterest; X, you tube and tiktok.
From here, you can return to the HOME and discover new recipes!
