Lentil Soup

This a lovely and easy soup to make and is vegan without the cheese garnish.

• 1 lb of dry lentils
• 2 large carrots
• 1 small/medium onion
• 3-4 celery stalks
• Salt, pepper and olive oil
• 1 lb small pasta shape, like orzo, ditalini, etc.

Put the lentils on a baking sheet and sort through the beans carefully to pull out any stones or anything that doesn’t look nice. Rinse the beans well through a strainer. Add to a pot and cover with 3 inches of (filtered) water and bring to a simmer. Dice the vegetables and add to the pot. I use a food processor to chop quickly and smaller pieces. Simmer the soup together, adding water as needed (the dry lentils will absorb a lot of water). When the lentils and vegetables are tender, add a tsp of salt and some pepper. Stir well and taste for flavor after a few minutes. Add more salt if needed, small amounts at a time and letting it soak into the lentils for a few minutes before tasting. When soup is flavored well. Turn off heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and stir in.

Cook the pasta off separately to al dente, rinse with cool water and toss with olive oil. Add pasta to each serving so you can have control over the proportions.

Garnish each bowl with parmesan or pecorino cheese.

*Note: For noodle soups, I always store the cooked pasta separate from the soup so that it doesn’t get mushy.