The lentil soup is a warm, nourishing and comforting dish, perfect for cold evenings and for those who love simple, wholesome cooking.
Made with lentils and vegetables that slowly cook together, it gives a rustic, natural flavor that recalls traditional recipes.
It is an easy recipe, rich in plant protein, ideal both as a first course and as a light main dish.
As I have already written in other recipes, I love legumes and their use in the kitchen.
Soups are a panacea for the many beneficial properties they contain.
Homemade lentil soup is one of the simplest and most genuine dishes of traditional cuisine. Rich in fiber and plant protein, it is perfect for preparing a nourishing and filling soup, ideal during winter but delicious all year round.
My grandmother used to make them for me in every way and today, thanks to my mother, I’m learning all the secrets to make them at their best.
In our family kitchen the lentil soup always remains a simple and genuine recipe: we never enrich it with added fats like pancetta or rind, it would be too easy to make a dish taste good.
My hard task in the kitchen, or rather the lifestyle I carry on even on the blog, is precisely this: to cook healthy but full of flavor.
If you love legumes and simple, genuine recipes, try these other recipes with lentils, chickpeas and beans as well.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 Servings
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
Let’s see the ingredients we need.
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- celery (a few leaves)
- 1 clove garlic
- basil (about 6–7 leaves)
- parsley (a few sprigs, chopped)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- to taste fine salt
- to taste sugar (a pinch)
- 2 1/2 cups water (hot)
- 1 potato
- 1 1/4 cups dry lentils
- to taste pasta (your favorite type)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Knife
- 1 Strainer
Steps
Let’s see how to proceed to make our delicious soup.
Take a saucepan and add the oil, the sliced carrot, the onion, the celery leaves, the garlic clove chopped into small pieces, the basil leaves, the parsley and the tomato paste.
Season with salt and add a pinch of sugar. Let all these ingredients soften over low heat.
Meanwhile, take the dried lentils, rinse them carefully, visually check them, and let them drain.
Pour the lentils into the saucepan and mix well with the ingredients that are already in it.
After a few minutes add the hot water and a potato cut into 4 pieces and let it cook.
When the lentils are cooked, remove the potato and mash it with a fork, then return the purée to the pot.
This little potato trick will make everything creamier.
Check how much liquid is left in the saucepan, because you now have to add the pasta; if the liquid has reduced too much, you will need to add more to cook it.
If you top up, make sure the liquid is hot.
Decide the final consistency of the soup yourself. I prefer it with a bit more liquid, but if you want it drier, adjust it to your taste.
All that’s left is to wish you Enjoy your meal
How to store homemade lentil soup
If you have leftover lentil soup let it cool to room temperature, but not for more than 1–2 hours to avoid bacterial growth.
Use glass or food-grade plastic containers, well sealed to avoid odors and contamination.
It’s better to portion it into several containers: that way you thaw or heat only what you need.
The soup keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days.
Store it on the middle shelf, where the temperature is more stable.
The soup keeps in the fridge for 2–3 days.
Store it on the middle shelf, where the temperature is more stable.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Tips for a perfect lentil soup
To get a creamy and flavorful lentil soup, it’s important to cook the lentils together with the vegetables so they release all their flavor. If you prefer a thicker consistency, you can mash a few lentils during cooking or blend a small portion.
