Italian Style Lentil Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and saute until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add the lentils and mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils are almost tender, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in the pasta. Simmer until the pasta is tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan coated with cooking spray, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, celery and carrot; cook and stir until crisp-tender., Stir in lentils, parsley, bouillon, pepper and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes or until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally., Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar and salt; heat through. Serve with cheese. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally; add a little water if necessary.

Steps:

• Place lentils in a pot with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
• Bring rice and 1 1/3 cup water to boil in a pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, beaten egg, garlic, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, parsley, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Form ground beef mixture into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs in skillet and cook 5 minutes or until evenly brown.
• In a large pot, bring the tomato sauce and 4 cups water to a boil. Transfer the browned meatballs to the pot. Mix in cooked lentils and rice. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese to serve.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the water, broth, lentils, carrot, green pepper, oregano, basil and, if desired, pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until lentils are almost tender. , Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 10 minutes longer or until lentils are tender. Serve with rice. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary. Serve with rice.