Lentil, Salted Cod, and Almond Soup, an excellent first course, comforting on colder days and also very beautiful to present at the table. I often prepare it when I have guests, serving it with delicious toasted walnut bread, which I usually make with my own hands. In this recipe, I do not add salt because experience tells me that even when desalted, the cod retains just enough to season everything. Additionally, I love to add a bit of Pecorino Romano, so it is better to adjust the saltiness at the end according to our taste. Since I used ready-to-eat ingredients for the main components, it will be really easy and quick to prepare this soup. However, if you have time, you might prepare the day before by cooking the dry lentils and desalting the cod with your own hands. This way, you’ll save money and eat healthier.
If you like salted cod, then don’t miss the following recipes:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 18 oz cooked lentils
- 14 oz desalted and deboned salted cod
- 5.3 oz leek
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 0.7 oz aromatic herbs
- 1 oz peeled almonds
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 17.6 oz water
Tools
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Chopper
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Knife
Preparation
Clean and wash the leek, celery, and carrot, chopping them into small pieces as if preparing a minestrone.
Place the chopped vegetables in a high-sided saucepan, along with three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, and sauté for a few minutes. Also, add the bay leaf and water, cover three-quarters with a lid, and cook for about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, place the aromatic herbs (in this case, I used sage, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram), peeled almonds, one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons of lentils into a chopper and chop until you achieve a not too fine cream.
At this point, add the remaining lentils, the freshly prepared cream, and the salted cod cut into fairly large pieces to the vegetable broth. It’s important not to add salt until the end of cooking, as even desalted, the cod could still season the soup adequately.
Let cook for 20 minutes on medium-low heat, adding more water if necessary, but make sure it’s boiling.
Serve our Lentil, Salted Cod, and Almond Soup piping hot directly into the plates, decorating with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkling with grated Pecorino Romano as desired.
Tips
The soup keeps perfectly in the refrigerator for a few days, but in a glass or ceramic airtight container.
The best way to reheat it is undoubtedly in the microwave.
It can also be frozen, but make sure to thaw it in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
Alternatively, you can thaw it directly in the saucepan or microwave.
