Lentil Minestrone

from Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

This recipe is one that I use every other week in the cooler weather. It's the best lentil soup I've ever had. Enjoy! Bridget

2 tbs. olive oil, plus extra virgin olive oil to finish

2 cups finely chopped onion

2 tbs. tomato paste

¼ cup chopped parsley

4 garlic cloves, chopped

4 carrots diced

1 cup diced celery or celery root

salt and freshly milled pepper

1 cup French green lentils, sorted and rinsed

Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme sprigs

9 cups water or vegetable broth

1 bunch greens – mustard, broccoli rabe, chard, or spinach

2 cups cooked small pasta

thin shavings of Parmesan 

Heat the oil in a wide soup pan with the onion. Sauté over high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, parsley, garlic, vegetables, and 2 teaspoons salt and cook for 3 minutes more.  Add the lentils, aromatics, and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper.  (The soup may seem bland at this point, but the flavors will come together when the soup is finished.) Remove the aromatics. 

Boil the greens in salted water until they’re tender and bright green, then chop them coarsely. Just before serving, add the greens and the pasta to the soup and heat through. Serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled into each bowl, a generous grind of pepper, and the Parmesan.