Tomato Lentil Soup
This recipe is from Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman. I found it in one of Food & Wine's Best of the Best Series.
This recipe is from Mediterranean Harvest by Martha Rose Shulman. I found it in one of Food & Wine's Best of the Best Series.
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
- 1 onion cut into 1/4 in. dice
- 2 carrots quartered lengthwise & cut into 1/2 in pieces
- 1 celery rib halved lengthwise & cut into 1/2 in pieces
- 5 cups water
- 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes w/their juices
- 1 c french green lentils rinsed and drained (7 oz)
- 1 3-inch sprig rosemary
- shredded gruyere cheese for serving
- Carbohydrate 31.99534 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 5.16578666666667 g
- Fiber 13.7545999981562 g
- Protein 11.1667866666667 g
- Saturated Fat 0.726593333333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (614g)
- Sodium 73.388 mg
- Sugar 18.2407400018438 g
- Trans Fat 0.273830000000002 g
- Calories 213 calories
Step-by-step
- In a medium soup pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the water, tomatoes with their juices, lentils, bay leaves and rosemary.
- Bring the soup to a simmer, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
- Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper and discard the bay leaves and rosemary sprig.
- Ladles the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with cheese and serve.
Adding acidic ingredients like canned tomatoes directly to raw legumes before they have softened creates a serious textural obstacle. Acid strengthens pectin in plant cell walls, which prevents starches from gelatinizing properly and leaves lentils hard regardless of how long the pot simmers. French green lentils, specifically the Le Puy variety, contain a thicker seed coat than standard brown lentils, making them uniquely suited to hold their structural integrity under extended cooking times. Combining these components requires managing moisture levels carefully during the initial 30 minutes of low-heat coverage so the liquid reduces evenly without scorching the bottom of the soup pot.
Sautéing the diced onions, carrots, and celery in extra virgin olive oil over moderate heat for approximately 5 minutes initiates the Maillard reaction in the aromatics while rendering down their cellular structures. Breaking apart the whole tomatoes using the back of a wooden spoon releases their internal liquids into the 5 cups of water, establishing a balanced simmering base before the lentils go in. Maintaining a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil prevents the delicate legumes from splitting open and releasing too much starch into the broth, which would transform a clean soup into a heavy puree.
Removing the woody rosemary sprig and bay leaves prior to serving prevents dominant herbal bitterness from overtaking the earthy profile of the legumes. Finishing each bowl with grated Gruyère cheese introduces lipids and umami compounds that complement the natural acidity of the tomato base. Storing leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days allows the starches within the lentils to fully absorb the surrounding aromatic liquids, deepening the overall flavor profile significantly.
