Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup - Vellutata di Lenticchie e Verdure
If you are looking for an unbelievably delicious, healthy and hearty soup to make this winter than this is it! I made this recipe for New Years Eve to celebrate like the Italians do…sort of :) One famous Italian dish that is served on New Years Eve is Cotechino con Lenticchie (sausages and lentils). This is a rich and hearty dish that symbolizes wealth and abundance. This recipe is a fun version of this classic dish. Side of sausage is optional :)
This soup may not win a prize for being the most beautiful you will ever see…in fact the first words out of my daughter’s mouth when seeing it were “yuck”…haha. She happily went on to eat two bowls though because this soup does win a prize for being the most flavorful. You would never guess that it is just cooked in water and only seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper. This soup will definitely have you oohing and aahing at just how good it is!
I used some small French green lentil in this because it is what I had on hand, and it turned out incredible with them. Any type of lentil could be used though. The flavors and cooking times could vary depending on what you use!
The Recipe
Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup
12oz Dried Lentils - I used French green
3 Carrots - approx. 1 1/4 cups chopped
4 Ribs of Celery - approx. 1 1/4 cup chopped
1/2 of a Medium Red Onion - chopped
2 Tbsps. Tomato Paste
1 Medium Potato - peeled and chopped
3 Garlic Cloves - crushed
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Olive oil/ Butter or both for the toasts
Baguette for toasts
Cover the lentils in water to clean. Let soak for 20 minutes to help speed up cooking time. Discard any shells or bits that float to the top, drain.
In a large pot, place the lentils, vegetables, and tomato paste. Add in cold water, enough to cover the vegetables by a couple inches.
Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 min. Add in salt and pepper and additional water if needed to keep the vegetables covered . Cook 15 min more or until the lentils are very soft.
4. Lightly strain the vegetables (see note below), reserving the cooking liquid and saving it for later. Using an immersion blender or food processor (in batches for this method) puree the soup until smooth, adding back in some of the cooking liquid and additional water if necessary to get your desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper as desired.
5. In a skillet heat the olive oil and/or butter. Toast both sides of each piece of bread until golden. This could also be done with a broiler.
6. Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into serving bowls. Top with toasts and a drizzle of olive oil and/or parsley if desired.
Buon Appetito! And remember that this soup definitely goes good with wine :)
Also remember that this amazingly delicious Creamy Lentil Vegetable Soup is vegetarian and vegan so you can feel good, healthy and satisfied!
*Note - If using an immersion blender it is possible to skip the step of straining the vegetables as long as there isn’t too much water. In the picture above I did not strain my vegetables because I knew that I would be adding back in all of that liquid to make the soup the consistency I wanted.
