Lentil Tomato Soup

By Martha Rose Shulman

Lentil Tomato Soup
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
About 1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
5(2,159)
Comments
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I’m a firm believer in eating foods that symbolize good luck and expanding fortune at the beginning of the year. Usually I stick with my black-eyed peas salad. But I’ve always been curious about how people in other countries usher in the New Year. Lentils and raisins are present on Italian tables because they resemble coins and swell when cooked. They’re usually accompanied by pork, a symbol of prosperity and abundance. This is an easy, robust vegetarian soup that tastes almost meaty. The rosemary in the bouquet garni contributes a savory, earthy flavor.

Featured in: New Year’s Dishes for Prosperity and Longevity

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Lentil Tomato Soup

    • 1cup lentils, washed and picked over
    • 1tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
    • 1medium onion, chopped
    • 2garlic cloves, minced
    • 1carrot, diced
    • 1stalk of celery, diced
    • Salt to taste
    • 114-ounce can chopped tomatoes, with juice
    • 5cups water
    • A bouquet garni made with 2 sprigs rosemary and 1 bay leaf
    • Freshly ground pepper to taste
    • Grated Parmesan or Gruyère for serving
    • 1 to 2tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

247 calories; 5 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 14 grams protein; 1177 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. For the Lentil Tomato Soup

    1. Step 1

      Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrot and celery, and a generous pinch of salt, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until tender. Add the tomatoes and bouquet garni, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, water and salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently one hour. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove the bouquet garni, and stir in the parsley. Serve, garnishing each bowl with Parmesan or Gruyère.

Tip
  • Advance preparation: This soup will improve overnight, and keeps well for three or four days, though you will probably finish it sooner. It can be frozen for a couple of months.Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,159 user ratings
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Comments

Mordecai

Good tip on the lemon juice. I added it at the end as a garnish, along with a little olive oil, and it helped. Also, pancetta helped.

Day of the soup wasn't as exciting as it was the day after or even two days after. I highly recommend making it ahead.

CEM

I added lemon juice (about one lemon's worth) to the recipe - it was delicious. As noted, the soup did improve overnight.

Jeffrey Hill

Another trick is to thrown in a Parmesan rind. You will not regret it.

Katie Baldwin Eng

Cook with parmesan rind, if you have. One spoonful of Marmite can add a little happy umami.

Ayalah

Based on the comments, I added some lime at the very end. I also added a bit of adobo sauce from a can of chilies in adobo sauce and it was excellent.

Karol

I used a quart of home canned tomato juice with salsa seasoning and replace veg. broth for the water. Before serving, sqirted lemon juice and sprinkled with dill and red pepper.

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