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–+ servings
Three shallow white bowls of Italian lentil soup, garnished with fresh parsley. They're on a white marble surface.

Italian Lentil Soup

A hearty vegan soup made with any kind of lentils and canned  tomatoes, flavored with garlic and other herbs, easily prepared ahead of time or right on the spot. 
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups lentils rinsed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 14-oz can crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 8 cups water
  • freshly-ground pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • chopped parsley for serving optional

Instructions
 

  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy bottomed pot or crockpot (if it has a saute setting). Add the chopped celery, carrot and onion and cook, stirring often until tender and the onions are transparent, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to low, if need be.
  • Add the peeled and smashed garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
  • Add the canned tomatoes. Tie the rosemary and the bay leaf into a small bundle with a piece of kitchen string (this helps the rosemary from falling apart into the soup) and add. Cook for another 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
  • Add the lentils, 8 cups of water or broth, salt (if you are using canned broth, you should omit the salt and test for seasoning later) and a couple turns of freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and gently cook for about 45 minutes over a stovetop or crockpot or until the lentils are tender.
  • Remove the garlic and herb bundle and add the apple cider vinegar. Test for seasoning.
  • Remove about 1 ½ cups of the soup and puree using an immersion blender. Add back into the pot to create a creamier consistency.
  • Serve with a sprinkling of freshly chopped parsley, if you like and crusty bread.

Notes

  • This Italian lentil soup improves with time. It’s much better the next day or even two days later, making it an ideal recipe to make in advance and serve later in the week. 
  • If the soup is too thick, add a bit more water, one half cup at a time, until desired consistency. I prefer my lentil soup to be thick, which you should achieve with 8 cups of water. 
  • This recipe is a great way to use up frozen parsley that you have on hand. Because you are stirring it into the soup before serving, the disheveled look of the wilted frozen parsley isn’t an issue. It will, however, brighten up the soup. 
  • If you are using broth or some form of stock instead of water, hold back on adding salt. Test for seasoning at the end of cooking.
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