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Rustic Lentil Soup with Spinach

Ingredients

For soup

  • 1 ½ cups brown, green, or mixed lentils, soaked
  • 3-4 tablespoons extra vigin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 red or orange bell pepper, roasted, peeled, and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
  • 2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup dry red wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 6-8 cups water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

For serving

  • red wine vinegar to taste
  • Romano or parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • If lentils have not been soaked already, cover with hot water and set aside.
  • Warm oil in soup pot.
  • Add onion.
  • Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion has begun to soften, approx. 5 minutes.
  • Add carrot, bell pepper, and parsley.
  • Cook until all softened, approx. 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook a few minutes more.
  • Stir in tomato paste and mustard.
  • Cook until there a film forms on the bottom of the pot.
  • Add wine and scrape up pan juices.
  • Simmer a few minutes, until partially reduced.
  • Drain lentils.
  • Add lentils, bay leaf, and water to pot. Use larger amount of water if lentils were soaked only briefly.
  • Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.
  • Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt. Continue cooking until lentils are soft, approx. 10-20 minutes.
  • Taste for salt. Season with pepper.
  • Add spinach to soup. Cook until wilted, approx. 2 minutes.
  • When serving, add a little vinegar to sharpen flavors, and if desired shave on some cheese.

Notes

Adapted from Vegetable Soups from Deborah Madison's Kitchen.