Lentil Soup

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Easter Celebration

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (242)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(242)

Cook Time:
1 hr 0 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 0 min
Total:: 1 hr 10 min

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
11 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
2/3 cup dried elbow pasta
1 cup shredded Parmesan

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Lentil Soup
LINDA seattle, WA 11-16-2009
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Absolutley wonderful......with some added ingredients!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I read several of the comments and reviews and used this as a baseline to create the perfect lentil soup (as usual I made... some of the suggested adjustments). I included some additional ingredients like frozen chopped spinach and ground pork sausage (1lb.--like Jimmy Deans' or your choice) vs. ham hocks or smoked neck bones. I sauteed the vegetables, browned the sausage and followed the rest of the recipe. I added a pinch basil and Ms. Dash. I love flavor!! Oh my God! It's very very good. I froze half it and just ate the remainder this past weekend. BTW, I boiled the elbow macaroni separately and added it as suggested by a reviewer. The addition of frozen chopped spinach and ground pork makes for a very hearty and delicious soup. Use low sodium chicken stock if you are concerned with excess salt. Good luck!Read more
recipe Lentil Soup
LINDA Pen Argyl, PA 11-13-2009
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GREAT Recipe.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Great recipe! Very easy and VERY TASTY! Thanks Giada for yet another fabulous dish.
recipe Lentil Soup
Erin Oakland, TN 10-28-2009
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Great Dinner Soup
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

My family all liked this soup. I added some chopped smoked sausage since my husband has to have some kind of meat. It was... really good. I will definitely make this again.Read more
recipe Lentil Soup
Jacqui La Canada, CA 10-18-2009
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Even I Couldn't Mess It Up!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I just moved into my first apartment and have basically never done my own cooking before. I chose this recipe because it... looked easy, and it actually was just as easy as it looked, and delicious too! Seriously, if I couldn't mess this one up, it is really fool-proof!Read more
recipe Lentil Soup
Jessica Lockport, NY 10-13-2009
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Love This Soup!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This soup was so easy and delicious! Great for a weeknight dinner, very quick!
recipe Lentil Soup
Lisa Pleasant Hill, CA 10-04-2009
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Delicious and Hearty!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I tried this recipe tonight and my boyfriend and I loved it so much it's actually our new favorite soup! I didn't have... chicken broth on-hand, but I did have Better than Bouillon (bouillon base found at Whole Foods). I used a heaping teaspoon of this to six cups of water and it turned out great! I added all the ingredients but substituted about a cup of quartered button mushrooms for the tomatoes. I also copied some ingredients from Alton's recipe and added 1/2 tsp each of cardamom, cumin and cinnamon. MMMMM! This took the soup to a whole new level. Try it - you'll love it! I added 1 1/2 cups of rinsed lentils and substituted elbow pasta with a cup of dried egg noodles (just used what I had on hand). I also didn't use 11 cups of water - I found 6-7 cups gave me the desired consistency. This recipe is my new staple for fall/winter hearty meals! Read more