VCE: Lentil Minestrone

[Guest guest]

Tried and true and very good. Kathleen

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Lentil Minestrone

 

Recipe By : Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, Deborah Madison, page 225

Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Beans And Legumes Soups And Stews

Vegetables Pasta, Couscous, Etc.

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 tablespoons olive oil

plus extra virgin to finish

2 cups onion -- finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped parsley

4 garlic cloves -- chopped

3 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

***REMAINING INGREDIENTS***

9 cups Basic Vegetable Stock or water

Mushroom soy sauce -- to taste

1 bunch greens

mustard or broccoli rabe or chard or

spinach

2 cups cooked small pasta

(shells or orecchiette or other favorite

shape)

thin shavings of Parmesan

preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano

 

SERVES 4 TO 6

 

This is one of my all-time favorite soups. It's better when cooked ahead

of time, but add the cooked pasta and greens just before serving so that

they retain their color and texture.

 

Heat the oil in a wide soup pot with onion. Sauté over high heat, stirring

frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato

paste, parsley, garlic, vegetables and salt to taste and cook 3 minutes

more. Add the lentils, aromatics, and water or stock and bring to a

boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste

for salt and season with pepper. If it needs more depth, add mushroom soy

sauce to taste, starting with 1 tablespoon. Remove the aromatics.

 

Boil the greens in salted water until tender and bright green and then

drain and 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.

 

 

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