Lentil and Ditalini Soup
Lentil and ditalini soup is an Italian soup made with tender lentils, small tube-shaped ditalini pasta, and vegetables simmered together in one pot. It’s hearty, budget-friendly, and can be ready in 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 celery ribs diced
- 1 carrots peeled and diced
- ¼ cup yellow onion peeled and diced
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt divided (¼ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon)
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and minced
- 1 and ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup brown lentils rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- ⅓ cup ditalini pasta
- Italian flat-leaf parsley minced
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring often.
- Add the tomato paste and stir for about 1 minute to cook off the raw tomato flavor.
- Pour in the broth, water, lentils, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and stir everything together. Crank the heat to high to bring the broth to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Give the soup another stir, and cover it partly with a lid.
- Cook the lentils for 15-20 minutes or until desired tenderness, stirring occasionally.
- When the lentils are about done, stir in the pasta and cook for 5-10 minutes or until desired doneness.
- Remove the pot from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls. Top each with parsley and lots of Parmesan!
Notes
General Notes:
- Stir the lentils periodically as they cook to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Don't place the lid on the pot entirely. This will ensure some of the liquid evaporates, resulting in a thicker soup.
- Let the soup sit for a few minutes if you want it to thicken some more, but it should be pretty thick once done.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 504mg | Potassium: 628mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 2701IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 4mg
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