Brown lentils always remind me of my childhood in Sicily. My mum disliked lentils (still does) and would seldom make them. But I absolutely loved lentil soups, especially as I would melt a tiny square (or two) of cream cheese in it.
Onion, celery and carrots are a must here. Potatoes, tomatoes and spinach make it even tastier and more nutritious. Hope you like this simple recipe from my childhood.
Ingredients
Brown lentils - 250g, dried
Celery - 1 stalk, chopped
Onion - 1 large, chopped
Carrot - 1 large, chopped
Potato - 1 small, cubed
Tomato - 1 chopped
Spinach - 1 small bunch, chopped
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Bay leaf - 1
Vegetable stock - 1.5 litre
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot and add chopped carrot, onion and celery at once. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and sauté until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the lentils and stir for a minute to slightly toast them. Next, add all the stock, the cubed potato and tomato, black pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Lower the flame and cook for about 30 minutes or until the soup has become creamy. Lastly, add the chopped spinach and cook for another 5 minutes.
Dust with a little nutmeg and more olive oil before serving.
