Easy Italian Lentil Soup Recipe

Easy Italian Lentil Soup Recipe: This vegetarian Italian lentil soup recipe is a filling and healthful dish that is loaded with vegetables and tastes great! It’s the ideal way to start the New Year off well and wish yourself some luck!

Italians celebrate the new year by getting together to eat lenticchie with friends and family. Not because they’re high in protein and nutrients—though that’s a pleasant perk! This Italian soup recipe’s lentils, with their round form symbolizing expanding Roman coins as they simmer, are a symbol of abundance. It’s said that consuming lentils will bring good fortune for the coming year. And who wouldn’t be grateful for a tiny amount of that?

Italian Lentil Soup differs from home to home, as do most family recipes, but pig is a common ingredient in many traditional recipes. But my take on this flavorful, hearty Italian lentil soup is vegetarian (though it could easily be made vegan). Be at ease! It still has a lot of heritage and taste.

Easy Italian Lentil Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• Add the aromatics and sauté. About 2 tablespoons of olive oil should be heated over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the celery, carrots, onions, and garlic. Toss with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, or until the vegetables are fragrant and starting to get soft.

• Reduce heat. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, gently crush the tomatoes after adding them. Add the lentils, Italian spice, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and vegetable broth and stir. Add a dash more black pepper and kosher salt for seasoning. Once the soup reaches a boiling point, reduce the heat and partially cover the Dutch oven, leaving a small gap. Simmer the lentils for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are well cooked and very soft.

• Complete and present. After removing the heat, mix in the parsley, baby spinach, and a small amount of red wine vinegar. To suit your taste, add extra salt, pepper, and vinegar after tasting. After transferring to serving bowls, top with a final drizzle of olive oil and, if desired, Parmesan cheese.

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Notes

• Cut the broth down to 4 cups if you like your soup thicker.
• If you want to make this lentil soup vegan, omit the parmesan.
• If storing leftovers, wait to add cheese. After that, let the soup cool to room temperature before putting it in sealed jars.

• Store in the fridge for 4 days or freeze for 3 months. Always leave space at the top when freezing soup to allow it to expand in the freezer.
• Use your microwave to thaw the soup, or leave it in the fridge overnight. Top with freshly grated Parmesan and reheat over medium-low heat, stirring until steaming and wonderful.

Nutrition

• Calories: 161.8kcal
• Carbohydrates: 30.5g
• Protein: 10g
• Fat: 0.7g
• Saturated Fat: 0.1g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g
• Sodium: 915.3mg
• Potassium: 661mg
• Fiber: 12.3g
• Sugar: 5.9g
• Vitamin A: 5754.9 IU 
• Vitamin C: 27.1mg
• Calcium: 91.7mg
• Iron: 4.4mg

FAQs AND QUESTIONs 

How to Make Italian Lentil Soup

• Add the aromatics and sauté. About 2 tablespoons of olive oil should be heated over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add one chopped onion, two chopped carrots, one chopped celery rib, and four minced garlic cloves. Toss with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, or until the vegetables are fragrant and starting to get soft.

• Reduce heat. Using a potato masher or the back of a fork, gently crush a can of whole tomatoes (28-once). Add one bay leaf, one tablespoon of Italian seasoning, one cup of brown or green lentils, and ½ to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir. Add a dash more black pepper and kosher salt for seasoning. Once the soup reaches a boiling point, reduce the heat and partially cover the Dutch oven, leaving a small gap. Simmer the lentils for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through but still have a lot of texture.

• Complete and present. After turning off the heat, mix in 1 cup chopped parsley, 2 cups baby spinach, and a small amount of red wine vinegar. To suit your taste, add extra salt, pepper, and vinegar after tasting. After transferring to serving bowls, garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired, and a drizzle of olive oil.