← Nouns Cooking · Italian

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stick Celery, finely chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1 pinch Chilli flakes (optional)
• 250 g small brown or green lentils (Castelluccio if you can), rinsed
• 200 g chopped tinned tomatoes (half a tin)
• 1.2 l vegetable stock or water
• Salt
• Black pepper

Method

1. Warm the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for 8–10 min, stirring now and then, until soft and sweet.
2. Stir in the garlic, rosemary sprig, bay leaf and chilli and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the lentils and stir to coat them in the oil, then add the tomatoes and stock. Bring to the boil, then lower to a gentle simmer.
4. Partly cover and cook for 30–35 min, stirring now and then, until the lentils are completely tender. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
5. Remove the rosemary stalk and bay leaf. Mash or blend about a quarter of the soup to make it creamy, then season well with salt and pepper.
6. Serve in warm bowls with a generous drizzle of olive oil and toasted bread on the side.

Tips

• Salt the soup only at the end; salting early can keep lentils firm.
• Stir in a handful of small pasta for the last 10 min to make a heartier pasta e lenticchie.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

GialloZafferano Jamie Oliver Lazy Cat Kitchen