Lentil Soup
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Lentils are very much an ingredient of central Italy, the climate in the Northern Italy is too harsh for them to grow. In Italy, there are many numerous sized lentils available, all with different properties. The ones used for this soup are lenticchie di Castelluccie, which are less starchy than the flat brown ones, so the soup doesn't become too thick. If you want to make a vegetarian version of this, leave out the pancetta and use vegetable stock.
ingredients
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serves: 4
1 1/3 cups small brown lentils (preferably lenticchie di Castelluccio)
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 carrot (finely chopped)
1 stalk celery (finely chopped)
1 small leek (finely chopped)
3 1/2 ounce piece of unsmoked pancetta
1 sprig of rosemary
small bunch of sage
2 leaves bay
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
leaves a few rosemary to garnish
salt and pepper
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount per Serving
Calories: 687
- Total Fat: 36.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Cholesterol: 27.7 mg
- Sodium: 754.9 mg
- Total Carbs: 60.1 g
- Dietary Fiber: 21.8 g
- Sugars: 10.1 g
- Protein: 29.5 g
preparation
1. Soak the lentils in cold water for half an hour, than drain.
2. Heat half the olive oil in a pan and add the vegetables and the piece of pancetta. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not colored. It is important that the vegetables are soft, so that they release all their sweetness, flavor and moisture into the lentils.
3. Add the lentils, then tie the herbs together and add them. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until everything is well mixed and the lentils start to stick to the bottom of the pan. Don't season at this point, as salt will make the lentils harden up.
4. Meanwhile, heat the stock in a pan. Add 4 1/4 cups of stock to the lentils, bring to at boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
5. At tho end of cooking time, take 3 to 4 tablespoons of the lentils from the pan and sot aside.
6. Remove the herbs and pancetta (if you like, you can slice the pancetta and add it to the soup at the end).
7. Put the contents of the pan into a food processor. Blend until smooth (if you want an even smoother soup, pass it through at fine sieve).
8. Return to the heat arid add the lentils that you have kept aside. Heat through, and if the soup is too thick? add some more hot stock.
9. Taste and season. Serve in bowls, drizzling over the rest of the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkling with some rosemary leaves and grinding some fresh black pepper on top.
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comments
Mommy_loves_to_cook
November 5, 2011