Warming Lentil Soup
I have been making the very same Lentil Soup for roughly 35 years (yes, I started making it in kindergarten) and never really saw much reason to experiment with other recipes. Of course, I’ve enjoyed other lentil soups along the way, but if I’m making a pot at home, why mess with success?
But this weekend I spent nesting, gearing up for the whirlwind of the next two weeks. I’m a true homebody, and a calendar showing twelve evening plans before Christmas causes a surge of anxiety to run through my veins. This is a leap, but stick with me here. Does anyone else pay all of their bills, make returns at UPS, and do their laundry before leaving for a trip? These are things I do, not as some morbid “what if I don’t make it back,” but as a way to clear my mind. So, much the same way, this weekend I fortified my soul by wrapping gifts, organizing my calendar, cleaning out kitchen cabinets–the Tupperware carousel has never looked better–and making a big pot of Lentil Soup.
I decided to wing it on this one, so the recipe has lots of wiggle room. I wish I had some fresh parsley to add at the end, but I didn’t, so I’m including it below so you can add it to yours. The resulting soup is as comfortable as a worn-in sweatshirt. It wraps you in warmth and familiarity and will fortify you for the excitement likely waiting on your doorstep. Enjoy!
Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbls olive oil plus 1/2 c, later
- 1 med onion finely chopped
- 3 med carrots chopped
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 1 Tbls fresh rosemary minced
- 2 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1 bag dried lentils approx. 2 cups
- 10 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 c olive oil
- 3 cups spinach
- 1 c fresh parsley
- 2 Tbls sherry vinegar
- salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- fresh lemon juice optional
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onion, carrot, and celery; sauté until softened (about 5-10 minutes).
- Add garlic to the pot, saute and stir for a minute more, and then add the cubed squash, rosemary, salt, and lentils. Mix well.
- Add the broth and allow the pot to simmer for about 1 hour, until both the lentils and squash soften.
- Once the soup is cooked to your liking, place about 4 cups of soup in a blender along with 1/2 cup of olive oil. Blend until the emulsion is creamy, then add the mixture back to the soup pot.
- Off the heat, add the spinach, parsley, and sherry vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Top each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a little extra vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.