Grandma’s Sicilian Lentil Soup: Healthy, Hearty and Delicious
I don’t know if I can think of another recipe that reminds me more of my Sicilian Grandmother than her lentil soup. She made it on repeat throughout her life and ours. Like her, it was warm, comforting, unfussy and always delicious! It was also incredibly practical, as she often used the base soup as a way to reinvent leftovers in the fridge. But despite its variations, depending on what she had to work with, there were enough consistent elements that its flavor remains iconic and etched in my memory forever. It’s important to me to preserve this base recipe so my family can alway have a touchstone to her cozy, welcoming kitchen.
Lentils are simple and rustic, wholesome and satisfying. But they are a blank canvas that requires the addition of some dimension and complexity. To elevate them, I pay attention to creating different textures with the doneness of vegetables. And garnish rules the day with lentil soup! Adding fresh parsley or basil, grated parmesan, fresh cracked pepper and dollop of pesto elevates this soup and and brings fresh and bright flavor. It is a complete and satisfying meal, especially with some crusty bread.
Gather ingredients
- 1 cup onion – diced
- 2 carrots – diced
- 1 celery stalk – diced
- 1 TBSP good quality olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 3-4 cloves of garlic – minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1.5 cups green or brown lentils (rinsed)
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (rinsed)
- 6.5 cups chicken stock
- 1 bunch of herbs (rosemary, thyme)
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup of fresh spinach or kale
How to make Sicilian Kitchen Sink Lentil Soup
- Prepare and measure out all vegetables (dice onions, carrots and celery, mince garlic).
- Measure and rinse lentils in a colander. They do not need to soak.
- In a pan on medium heat cook diced onion, carrots and celery stalk in olive oil.
- Add 1 tsp of salt after a minute and cook vegetables for another 2 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant
- Add white wine to cooked vegetables and cook for another minute
- Add 1.5 cups of lentils, herb bouquet, diced tomatoes and chicken broth/stock and let simmer for about 45 minutes. Add more broth as needed to preference.
- Remove herbs and discard.
- Add fresh spinach (or kale) and cook for another minute until it is wilted.
Garnish rules the day with lentil soup! Adding fresh herbs and grated parmesan elevates this soup and and brings fresh and bright flavor. I like to add chopped parsley or basil, cracked pepper and plenty of fresh grated cheese. A dollop of pesto is a wonderful addition.
SICILIAN KITCHEN SINK LENTILS
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion – diced
- 2 carrots – diced
- 1 celery stalk – diced
- 1 TBSP good quality olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 3–4 cloves of garlic – minced
- ½ cup white wine
- 1.5 cups green or brown lentils (rinsed)
- 6.5 cups chicken stock
- 1 bunch of herbs (rosemary, thyme)
- 1 TBSP tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup of fresh spinach or kale
Instructions
- In a pan on medium heat cook diced onion, carrots and celery stalk in olive oil.
- Add 1 tsp of salt after a minute and cook vegetables for another 2 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant
- Add white wine to cooked vegetables and cook for another minute
- Add 1.5 cups of lentils, herb bouquet and chicken broth/stock and let simmer for about 45 minutes. Add more broth as needed to preference.
- Remove herbs and discard.
- Add fresh spinach and cook for another minute until it is wilted.
Garnish with a dollop of homemade or good quality pesto, chopped parsley or basil and plenty of freshly ground parmesan cheese.
Matriarch Muse
My grandmother, Josephine Manganaro Palmeri was born in Pittston, Pennsylvania in 1911. Her parents immigrated from Sicily. Her cooking style was rustic, simple, pragmatic, in that she used everything she had, and always SO delicious. Her kitchen always smelled of garlic and olive oil and more often than not, she had a mouthwatering pot of sauce simmering on the stove. She didn’t have a sweet tooth personally, but when company came or on the holidays, she would make scrumptious Italian cookies, like her famous Italian Pink Wedding Cookies.
