Lentil Soup for Lent...Post your favorite recipes here

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup lentils, rinsed
2 bay leaves
8 sprigs parsley and 6 sprigs fresh thyme tied together
9 cups water or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked pasta
Salt and pepper
Heat oil in a large stockpot over high heat. Add onion and saute until browned, stirring frequently. Add tomato paste, chopped parsley garlic, carrots and celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add lentils, bay leaves, parsley-thyme sprigs and water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer partially covered for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaves and parsley-thyme sprigs and discard. Add pasta, heat through and serve.

Makes 8-10 Servings
Serving Size: 8 ounces

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 196
Total fat: 4 grams
Saturated fat: 1 gram
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 60 mg
Carbohydrate: 32 grams
Protein: 10 grams
Dietary fiber: 10 grams

sounds yummy.

I also like lentils cooked with onions and served with yogurt Mmmmmm

Pasta E Fagioli

Makes about 4 Quarts

1 Tablespoon really good extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 ounces pancetta (you can use bacon), chopped fine
1 medium onion, fine dice (about 1 cup)
1 celery rib, find dice (about 2/3 cup)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 anchovy filets, minced to a paste
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 piece of Parmesan cheese rind, about 5" x 2"
2 lbs rinsed and soaked cannellini beans (you can used canned, if you must)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade, but otherwise - use low sodium
8 ounces ditalini or orzo
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Ground black pepper to taste
2 oz grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, 3-5 minutes. Add onion and celery, -cook stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened (5-7 minutes). Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and anchovies; cook, stirring constantly until fragrant. Add tomatoes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the cheese rind and beans. Bring to a bil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to blend the flavours.

Add chicken broth, 2 1/2 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon salt; increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Discard the cheese rind. Remove the soup from heat and stir in 3 Tablespoons parsley. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into individual bowls, drizzle each serving with olive oil and sprinkle with a protion of the remaining parsley. Serve immediately and pass the grated Parmesan.

:hi:

:D