This easy, Italian lentil soup recipe comes together in 1 hour, thanks to fast cooking green lentils- no overnight soaking required. Fresh tomatoes brighten the thick and hearty broth, while a unique bundle of fresh herbs elevates the flavor.
This exceptional lentil soup recipe comes from Cucina Povera by, Giulia Scarpaleggia which celebrates Italian peasant cooking at its finest: making do with what you have.
Personally, this is my favorite style of cooking. My Italian grandfather cooked this way, and he made some of the best meals out of humble ingredients (i.e. escarole and beans, minestrone soup, pasta e fagioli and more). It’s in my DNA too. When the fridge is bare, I become the most inspired and beautiful recipes are born. That’s the spirit of cucina povera.
On page 190, Giulia shares her Umbrian lentil soup. Her recipe is more of a rich stew, rather than a brothy soup which makes it comforting and memorable. Ladled into warmed bowls, she serves it over toasted crusty bread drizzled with olive oil. I sprinkle mine with Pecorino cheese because I’m completely obsessed with Pecorino- young, medium, aged- and its sharp saltiness is perfect in this soup. This recipe makes a lot (about 3 quarts) and it freezes beautifully.
Why This Recipe Works:
- No need to soak: fast-cooking green lentils are ready in less than 1 hour.
- Herb bundle: rosemary, thyme, fresh bay leaves and mint (!) infuse an incredible, elevated flavor into the soup. In my opinion, this specific combination of fresh herbs sets this soup apart from the rest.
- Fresh Tomatoes: Instead of the typical canned tomatoes, juicy, red ripe tomatoes brighten the thick and hearty broth.
Good To Know:
- Use the best seasonal ingredients you can find. If you’re part of a CSA, this soup is a great way to use up your weekly boxes of carrots, tomatoes and onions.
- Carrots: I’m very particular about this. Choose carrots sold with their leafy green tops, not the ones in a bag. Their flavor is lighter, sweeter and more delicate.
- Tomatoes: I’ve tested this recipe with juicy Beefsteak tomatoes and small cherry tomatoes, which need to be halved or quartered, depending on size. If your tomatoes are ripe, either variety will work.
- Bay leaves: I love the bright, lemony flavor of fresh bay leaves (found in the fridge section with the rest of the herbs). I use the leaves from my own potted tree!
- Prep work: Use this vegetable chopper to slash your prep work in half. If you need a good vegetable peeler, get this one (make sure it’s the silver pro swivel series, not the all black regular one).
How To Make It (Step By Step Recipe)
- To start, rinse and drain the lentils. Then, wrap your herbs in kitchen twine to make a little bundle— this makes it easy to pull them out later.
- In a large Dutch oven, warm some olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and bacon (or pancetta) until light golden in color. It will smell delicious!
- Next, add the lentils, fresh chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and your herb bundle. Pour in half of the stock, bring it to a gentle boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. After that, toss in the potatoes, more stock and cook until tender.
How To Store, Freeze & Reheat Lentil Soup
- In the fridge: This soup gets better as it sits. I recommend making it 1-2 days in advance, before serving. It will last in the fridge, stored in airtight containers, for up to 5 days.
- In the freezer: Frozen lentil soup will last up to 6 months.
- To reheat: This lentil soup thickens after it has cooled completely. To reheat, gently warm over low heat, adding more stock if necessary to loosen it up. PS: wilt some baby spinach leaves directly into your soup, top with Parmesan or Pecorino, and you’ve go yourself a wonderful leftover meal.
More Italian Soup Recipes To Try:
This recipe is part of 6-part mini series featuring warm and cozy Italian soups, perfect to serve with homemade sourdough bread. Click on the links below to gain access to the next recipes in the series.
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Best-Ever Italian Lentil Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 Hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: Serves 6–8 (3 quarts) 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Italian lentil soup comes together in 1 hour, thanks to fast cooking green lentils- no overnight soaking required. Fresh tomatoes brighten the thick and hearty broth, while a unique bundle of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and mint) elevates the flavor. Recipe adapted from Cucina Povera by, Giulia Scarpaleggia.
Below are a few ingredient brands, tips & recommendations:
- Tomato Paste: Get the kind in the tube for convenience, not the can. Good brands include Cento & Mutti.
- Chicken Stock: You need a light-colored chicken stock or broth (some are really dark and strong flavored). I use Trader Joe’s organic chicken bone broth which comes in a black pouch, not a box, and is found in the refrigerator section. It’s light in color, has great ingredients, and has a subtle taste that does not overpower. You can also use your favorite vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade. If using my homemade vegetable stock recipe, please double it so you have enough.
- Understanding vegetable size: The veggies I use for this soup are are approximately “medium” in size. So for an example, a medium, not gigantic onion; a celery stick that is not as long as my arm; Yukon Gold potatoes that are not the size of yams etc. Use your judgement. Always have extra stock on hand if you need to loosen up the texture of the soup.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) dried green lentils
- 1 large rosemary sprig
- 1 large mint sprig
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh bay leaves (if using dried, only 1 bay leaf)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 ounces (60 g) thick-cut smoked bacon or pancetta, rough chop
- 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups light-colored chicken stock or vegetable stock, plus more as needed (see Notes & Tips above)
- 2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes, diced
- Parmesan cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese, to serve
- Sourdough bread, to serve
Note: To store, portion cooled soup into airtight containers. Chill in the fridge for up to 5 days; freeze up to 6 months. Gently warm the soup to reheat, adding a splash of stock or water to loosen up the texture if it’s too thick.
Instructions
- Rinse and drain the lentils in a small colander; set aside.
- With kitchen twine, tie the rosemary, mint, thyme and fresh bay leaves together. This is your herb bundle. If you don’t have twine, use a thyme sprig to wrap around the herbs.
- In a large Dutch Oven: warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and bacon (or pancetta). Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 5-7 minutes.
- Add the lentils, chopped fresh tomatoes, tomato paste and herb bundle; stir well to combine.
- Add 3 cups of stock/720 ml, increase the heat, and cook until the soup is boiling. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and 3 cups/720 ml more of stock.
- Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Taste, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want the consistency of the soup to be a little thinner, now is the time to add more stock.
- To serve, ladle over toasted sourdough bread (or serve on the side as pictured above). Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese.
How To Store, Freeze & Reheat Lentil Soup
In the fridge: This soup gets better as it sits. I recommend making it 1-2 days in advance, before serving. It will last in the fridge, stored in airtight containers, for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: Frozen lentil soup will last up to 6 months.
To reheat: This lentil soup thickens after it has cooled completely. To reheat, gently warm over low heat, adding more stock if necessary to loosen it up. PS: wilt some baby spinach leaves directly into your soup, top with Parmesan or Pecorino, and you’ve go yourself a wonderful leftover meal.
Comments
Margó says
Biztosan nagyon finom, ki fogom próbálni!
A csodás kenyér felteszi rá a koronát! 🌹
Laura M. says
Best Lentil soup I have ever made‐—-and I have tried many variations. I followed it to a “T” Thank You!!!
Sam says
Just like my Nona made ….. Very delicious
Mary E Young says
This is the best lentil soup recipe that I have ever made, and I have made many! I left out bacon, because we mostly eat vegetarian. Also, I didn’t have mint, but love, love this!
Kelly Sherrill says
Delicious!! Only tweaked it slightly by using prepared lentils from Trader Joe’s and added a cup of spiced apple cider in place of some of the chicken broth. Thanks for sharing such a comforting Fall supper recipe!!
ElCyd says
I’m cooking for two, so I halved the recipe, used parsnips, bacon, 2 small Yukons, and a half-teaspoon of dried version of the spices. This was surprisingly delicious! I was afraid about the mint, but it was subtle and present at the same time. Very good. Went back for seconds.
Thanks for this recipe! It is a keeper. I do think a sourdough is a perfect match for this. I didn’t have any bread, but I will next time.
Deb says
Delicious soup supper for a rainy evening. This one is a 10/10.
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you Deb! 🥰
Jasson says
Very nice recipe chef 👍👌👏.I just made it, for tomorrow lunch you remind me my childhood. I will serve it with focaccia 😊 because I don’t know how to make sourdough. I hope that I will learn from you. Thank you for your effort 🌻🌞😎.
Emilie Raffa says
You are very welcome, Jasson. Glad you enjoyed it! Focaccia would be excellent with this soup. And speaking of, when you’re ready to learn sourdough, homemade focaccia is an excellent place to starter- very easy to do at home!