Lucky Soup

French green lentils make all the difference in this recipe--great consistency, texture, and flavor.

Sticking with the New Year theme, I thought I’d tell you about the unbelievable soup I made last week. Hands down the best one to date. What does this have to do with the New Year other than the fact that I made it the first week of January? I’ll tell ya: I made lentil soup. Still not seeing the connection? According to some traditions (Italian, I think? Can anyone vouch for that?) eating lentils at the start of a new year symbolizes good luck and prosperity. I’d been looking for a great lentil soup recipe for a while and as soon as I landed on one, I figured what better time to have a crack at it? Get out your stockpot and pile of veggies—this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa is a keeper.

Lentil Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound French green lentils (MUST be French green lentils—they maintain their consistency far better than regular ones. I found them in the bulk aisle at Whole Foods.)

3 large yellow onions, chopped

2 leeks, chopped (white parts only)

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tbsp kosher salt

1 ½ tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp ground cumin

8 stalks celery, chopped

6 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 quarts low-sodium chicken stock

¼ cup tomato paste

Directions:

In a large stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions, leeks, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 2 to 3 hours, until the lentils are cooked through.