ITALIAN RED LENTIL SOUP

What I love the most about this Italian Red Lentil Soup  is just how easy it is! In addition, it is very delicious, comforting &  flavorful.We’ve all tasted bland soups and wished for something a bit more substantial. This is most definitely not one of those soups. This red lentil soup is packed to the brim with flavor and variety, and it can stand alone as a delectable dinner. The secret? Butter, as usual. Let’s talk about a few tips and tricks to make our red lentil soup as delicious as it is intended to be.

1. Make sure you’re using real butter, and make sure it’s the salted variety. No margarine or butter spread will make the red lentil soup taste as delicious as real, farm style butter will.
2. Yellow onions are great in soups because their firmness allows them to keep their structure in liquids. They also have a fresh, complex taste which adds to the flavor pallet of red lentil soup.
3. The red lentil soup recipe calls for vegetables that have been chopped finely. I encourage you to take this instruction seriously and chop each vegetable as finely as possible without shredding them. Here are some useful tricks for slicing vegetables for red lentil soup like a pro:
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• Be picky about the surface you choose to cut on. This protects the knife from losing its sharpness and it helps you to chop faster and more efficiently. First choice is thick plastic, second is thin plastic boards and third is wood.
• Use the correct knives for the job. You are not going to get tiny, elegant chopped vegetables for red lentil soup if you opt for a bread knife. I recommend Victorinox paring knives for chopping vegetables.
• Be sure to always cut along the length of a vegetable. For further divisions, lengthwise is sometimes necessary, but lengthwise comes first.
• To keep your knives in good shape, don’t store them with the rest of the cutlery, but rather tuck them safely into a knife block.

4. Choose pancetta for a crispy, strong flavor that contrasts beautifully with the red lentil soup. Opt for prosciutto if you’re up for something softer that matches the soup’s texture, but adds in a delicious, salty kick. Choose country ham for a more traditional take on the red lentil soup, with a comforting feel and a full flavor.

4. Make your own meat broth. It’s actually really easy and cost effective, plus its delicious in red lentil soup. Here’s how:

• Gather a combination of the toughest sections of beef. Chuck meat, flank, round beef or shank are perfect alone or in combination with one another. Many recipes recommend you add in a portion of chicken as well.
• Add in a selection of herbs, vegetables and condiments, choosing from cloves, sea salt, black pepper, white pepper, parsley, cilantro, celery, carrots, leeks and onions.
• Allow the mixture to simmer for a good few hours, and then filter it through a colander so that only the liquid remains.

These simple tricks make for delicious red lentil soup! Create and enjoy.

RED LENTIL SOUP RECIPE

ITALIAN RED LENTIL SOUP

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• Author: Chefjar

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Ingredients

• Red lentil- 2 1/4 cup
• Olive oil- 3 tbsp
• Salted Butter- 3 tbsp
• Onion ( finely chopped)- 1 large
• Carrots ( diced) – 1 medium
• Celery sticks ( diced)-2
• Shredded Italian Prosciutto/ Smoked ham/ Smoked sausage- 1/2 cup
• Italian plum tomatoes with juice- 1 can
• Meat ( Beef) broth- 3 cups
• Salt -to taste
• Black pepper- to taste
• For Serving
• Freshly grated Parmigiano-reggiano cheese- 4-5 tbsp
• Fresh parsley/ cilantro – 3-4 tbsp

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Instructions

1. In a large saucepan melt the butter & add olive oil.
2. Add the chopped onion and the ham/ sausage/ Prosciutto. Cook the onion until golden or brown.
3. Add the diced carrots & celery sticks. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the tomatoes & bring the soup to boil.
5. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.
6. Wash and drain the lentils. Transfer the lentils to the saucepan with veggies, add the broth.
7. Cook the soup over medium heat 45-50 minutes.
8. Some types of lentils will absorb more liquid than others. If necessary, add more broth while cooking.
9. You can substitute the broth with water.
10. Serve the soup hot with freshly grated Parmigiano-reggiano cheese & parsley.

Notes

The soup can be made in advance, even in
large batches. You may freeze it if desired.

Equipment:
a large saucepan , a cheese grater

*** Use a pressure cooker to save time and energy.
Cooking Red lentil soup in a pressure cooker- 15-20 minutes.
Cooking in a saucepan- 1 h 10 minutes.

• Category: Soups
• Cuisine: Italian

Enjoy this delicious Red lentil soup!