Lentil Soup with Chili Oil: Zuppa di Lenticchie

Recipe courtesy Mario Batali

Show: Molto MarioEpisode: Zuppe

Rated: 4 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (12)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(12)

Cook Time:
45 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 10 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 45 min
Total:: 55 min

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Ingredients

3 cups castelluccio lentils
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, chopped into 1/8-inch dice
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced plus 2 whole cloves
4 cups chicken broth, hot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound Tuscan or Umbrian country bread
1 cup pasta shells
Chili Oil, recipe follows

Directions

Wash and drain the lentils, carefully picking through them to take out any pebbles.

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the 6 tablespoons oil until just smoking. Add the onions and sliced garlic. Cook until softened but not brown, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add the lentils and the hot chicken stock. Bring the liquid to a boil. Lower then heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, keeping the level of the liquid just over the lentils by periodically adding more water. Add the pasta shells during the last 6 minutes of cooking. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

In the meantime, preheat the grill or broiler. When the soup is ready to serve, grill or toast, slices of the bread until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Rub each slice with a cut garlic clove.

Ladle the soup into warm bowls. Place a slice of garlic bread on top of each soup serving. Drizzle the bread and the soup with the chili oil and serve immediately.

Chili Oil:

2 cloves garlic, sliced thin

2 tablespoons chili flakes

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

In a small hot saute pan, add extra-virgin olive oil and garlic. Saute until golden and add chili flakes and salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let infuse.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Lentil Soup with Chili Oil: Zuppa di Lenticchie
Maxine ny, NY 04-11-2009
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Amazing soup!!!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is the best lentil soup ever!!! I have been a fan of lentil soup my whole life!! !! I thought my mom made the best one... but boy was I wrong!! I wanted to learn how to make it myself (my mother was just confusing me on the phone) so I tried this recipe. The chili oil part got me. It was so good. I agree with the comment that it does get really thick so add more water to thin it down. The recipe makes a lot of soup so you will have it for the whole rest of the week. And DO NOT skip the bread!!! It makes it out of this world. Sooooooo GooooDDD!!!Read more
recipe Lentil Soup with Chili Oil: Zuppa di Lenticchie
ron lakemoor, IL 03-25-2009
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I didn't think I liked Lentils!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

WOW was I wrong! This recipe has changed my outlook on this misunderstood legume. This was truly a wonderful recipe. I do... have to agree with a previous cook that there is not enough broth for the amount of lentils. Rather than decrease the lentils I doubled the broth and it worked out perfect! I also cut the chili flakes in half which works well for us because we like things spicy but not crazy. I also used green lentils. One more addition was that I took approx. 1/3 of the soup and ran it through my food processor to give it more of a smooth texture. Worked well. I also believe this probably serves 6-8 rather than 4. Unless, of course, they are hearty eaters! The bread comes out fantastic and definite must with this recipe. Do not skip that part!Read more
recipe Lentil Soup with Chili Oil: Zuppa di Lenticchie
Jennifer Brooklyn, NY 03-19-2009
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hHe did it again
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is the 2nd recipie I've tried from Mario though I must confess he has inspired me to play with other dishes I've seen... him make. This soup was beyond easy to make at the end I did add salt and pepper though I'm not so sure it needed it. I omitted the croutons and just drizzled the chili oil over the top. It would be excellent without it though. Also I added 3 smoked chicken thighs. They were already cooked so all they needed was to heat through. They were on the bone so I left them thta way until the end when I shredded them and put them back in. They take this from a fantastic vegetarian dish to one any meat eater would wolf down. I can't wait to see what my husband thinks of this soup. Thanks Mario :)Read more
recipe Lentil Soup with Chili Oil: Zuppa di Lenticchie
MARIE Bay City, MI 04-01-2007
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AWESOME....HEALTHY.....FILLING
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This soup was AWESOME! I used 4 tablespoons of coconut oil instead of the olive oil and I used red lentils, as I wasn't sure... what the other type was. I omitted the bread and just sprinkled the red pepper and extra garlic directly into the soup while cooking it....not bothering with any extra oil. This soup is heavenly.....surprisingly satisfying considering how simple it is. THANK YOU! I'll be making this one on a regular basis. It really does have a unique flavor!Read more
recipe Lentil Soup with Chili Oil: Zuppa di Lenticchie
Anonymous 08-16-2006
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Wonderul Lentil Soup!!
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I love this lentil soup recipe! Lentils tend to be sort of bland, but the chili oil gives it just the right amonut of zing,... and gives the recipe real flavor.Read more
recipe Lentil Soup with Chili Oil: Zuppa di Lenticchie
Naila Cambridge, MA 05-17-2006
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easy but needed some extras
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

i added some crisp pancetta and fresh green onion with a sprinkle of parmesan over the top and that gave it that extra flavor... and color that it needed. otherwise very easy and very hearty.Read more