She would wash them over and over again to make sure the beans in that pouch were clean and perfect for her soup, then soak them overnight (most packaged lentils no longer require soaking).
Grandma always wanted to make sure all the impurities on them were gone.
Just read the package for the modern-day instructions.
This was a typical soup we had on New Year's prepared shortly after midnight.
The tradition started in ancient Rome giving dried lentils in a pouch as a gift shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve.
The Romans said lentils would bring good luck in Italy and prosperity when eaten on the New Year First Day.
We still carry on that tradition and are big soup lovers here besides lentils are an easy-to-make favorite along with many other of our Best Soup Recipes Here.
Traditionally lentils are a natural symbol of abundance, and have come to represent money and good fortune with it!
Grandma was also from Rome, and we learned early on back in the 1960s, how to prepare a lentil soup for the New Year dinner.
This soup is easier and quicker to make now than what I remember using newer methods.
She also made the best Homemade Chicken Soup
If you would like a printable copy scroll all the way down to my recipe card and hit print.
Comforting Lentil Soup
If you grew up in the winter in Utica New York in an all-Italian household, you will remember mom or grandma making this soup all winter long.
It was a staple in our home and I still love this delicious soup along with my family through the generations.
Back in the 1960s, this was considered a very economical meal to feed a large family, so we had it once a week.
Although I do not make it much living in Florida, those childhood memories of mom and grandma making this comforting soup will always be one of my finest memories in the kitchen.
Healthy Benefits
Lentil soup is a nutritional powerhouse.
It combines the nutrients, protein, good carbs, and fiber in lentils with the antioxidant power of veggies, herbs, and spices.
Grandma also added a little good fat from the extra virgin olive oil rounding it out into a perfectly balanced meal.
Lentils are especially high in B vitamins and minerals like iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc.
As I said previously this soup is incredibly easy to make and really inexpensive, you can make a giant pot of soup that will feed many people for under ten dollars!
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Ingredients You Will Need(for instructions and exact amounts scroll down to the printable recipe card below)
- dried lentil
- chicken broth
- white wine
- extra virgin olive oil
- fresh parsley
- garlic cleaned
- garlic powder
- Optional: 1 cup diced tomatoes,1 sauteed diced onion. grated cheese for garnishing, hard-crusted Italian bread for dipping, crackers or croutons.
- 1 head of escarole cleaned and boiled making sure they are cooked through the drain, then chopped fine when cooled
- salt, and pepper to taste
- carrots, celery
- (for meat flavoring, add ham bone or prosciutto while simmering.)Grandma would usually put bacon or ham in this for flavoring
Tool You Will Need for Italian Lentil Soup
- 5 to 6-quart soup pot
- colander to drain the lentils after washing
- bowls
- ladle
- spoons
- either a knife for chopping or a food processor
- cheese grater if garnished with Italian grated cheese
Soak or not to Soak Lentils?
It's interesting why lentils are soaked, here's the answer: it turns out lentils in general unsoaked are not good for digestion.
Apparently, the outer shell of lentils (and some beans) contains anti-nutrients that can interfere with digestion.
The solution is to soak them, thereby neutralizing the anti-nutrients.
Some Lentil History
The best-known lentil soup comes not from a manual of classic cuisine but from the biblical story of Jacob and Esau and is mentioned in the Bible: In Genesis 25:30-34, as Esau is prepared to give up his birthright for a pot of fragrant red lentil soup being cooked by his brother, Jacob.
Originating in the Middle East, lentils are believed to be the first legume ever cultivated.
In Jewish tradition, lentil soup has been served at times of mourning; the roundness of the lentil represents a complete cycle of life.
Lastly, lentils are a superfood, they are high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber.
In addition, they are rich in iron, potassium, and folate. They contain virtually no fat and are cholesterol-free.
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Yield: 12
Italian Lentil Soup
Italian Lentil Soup usually served after midnight for Good Luck New Year's Eve tradition
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried lentils washed and sorted soaked for 2 hours in water with 1/2 teaspoon salt (refer to package instructions)
- 4 cups chicken broth (I make my own click here)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 sprigs of fresh parsley
- 3 cloves garlic cleaned (minced if not put through a food processor)
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 head of escarole cleaned and boiled making sure they are cooked until soft and then drain, then chop the escarole when cooled
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt, pepper to taste
- a handful (1 cup) of sliced or fingerling carrots, 2 stalks of celery
- (for meat flavoring, add ham bone, bacon, ham hocks, or prosciutto while simmering.)
- Grandma would usually put bacon or ham in this for flavoring
- Optional: 1 cup diced tomatoes,1 sauteed diced onion.
- Garnish: add some grated cheese on top, dip the broth with hard-crusted Italian bread, can be served with crackers or garlic-flavored croutons.
Instructions
- Drain and rinse lentils. Check the package for cleaning instructions.
- In a food processor add the garlic, celery, garlic, and parsley ( grandma chopped by hand) and pulse until small chunks..
- Put oil in a large soup pot, add the minced vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, cooked chopped escarole, and garlic powder, and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add any meat if using (IE bacon, ham, Italian sliced sausage, or even pepperoni slice).
- Grandma used whatever we had, or sometimes all vegetarian.
- Add wine and broth and cover the pot
- Slow Cooker Method: cook 6 hours or low 8 to 10 hours high.
- Instant Pot Method: cook 35 minutes refer to the instruction booklet for bean soup
- The soup is very thick if you would like it thinner add more chicken broth.
- Serve with Italian Fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese a dash of red pepper flakes and hard-crusted Italian bread for dipping in the juice
Notes
Soak or not to Soak Lentils?
It's interesting why lentils are soaked, here's the answer: it turns out lentils in general unsoaked are not good for digestion.
Apparently, the outer shell of lentils (and some beans) contains anti-nutrients that can interfere with digestion.
The solution is to soak them, thereby neutralizing the anti-nutrients.
Try Some of My Other Favorite Recipes
Our Best Soup Recipes
Lasagna Soup Holiday Side Dishes
Pin this Lentil Soup for Later
Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2010. It was edited and re-published in 2019.