Make a pot of comforting lentil minestrone using leftovers and little preparation time
If the thought of making a pot of comforting homemade soup conjures up the image of a long day spent in the kitchen, you might be surprised to find out that you can toss together a from-scratch pot of soup in less than an hour. Once you get the soup started and throw everything into the pot you can go about your other activities until it’s ready.
A soup, by itself or with a sandwich or small salad, makes a great supper, and it can get you off the dinner hook in a hurry and without a lot of effort. Nor do you have to be an expert cook to make great soup. Another bonus is that it can be made in advance. Most soups improve with a few days’ aging.
The secret to easily and quickly producing a good rich soup is to rely on foods in your refrigerator and pantry — leftover cut-up cooked chicken, beef or turkey; canned beans and lentils; noodles, rice, vegetables and herbs. I store Parmesan cheese rinds in a plastic zipper bag in the refrigerator so I can drop them into soups and sauces to add a distinct umami flavor. With homemade or store-bought vegetable or chicken broth on hand, the sky is the limit.
Inspired by Jacques Pepin’s “Fridge Soup”, I take pride in clearing my refrigerator and at the same time providing a family meal. If you don’t have an ingredient specified in a recipe, substitute another. As Pepin says, “This soup recipe can never be the same. It all depends on leftovers, so it is the spirit of the recipe which counts.”
I always make a large batch of soup and freeze some to enjoy on a day I don’t want to cook.
Top with a dollop of pesto and Parmesan shavings to add a note of freshness. You can be creative with your combinations of vegetables and seasonings, but to get the proper result follow a few basic techniques.
Figure on this approximate recipe: 1 medium onion or leek (maybe a garlic clove), 2 pounds of vegetables, 4 cups broth and optional 1 cup of milk or half and half. Use your imagination. Experiment with flavor variations and combinations.
You can puree part of the vegetable mixture in a blender and return it to the soup pot with the un-pureed soup for a textural variation.
Green Lentil Minestrone
This recipe is adapted from “One Pan, One Meal” by Elena Silcock, Hamlyn/Octupus Publishing. ($19.99).
A refreshing 2019 The Prisoner Chardonnay ($39.99) is bright and lively with aromas of vanilla, crème brûlée and baked apple. Full-bodied and rich, this wine integrates flavors of pineapple and toasted oak for a smooth finish. Sipping a chilled glass with the soup makes the minestrone seem equally lively.
Silcock advises, “Skip the pancetta if you want to make it veggie, and swap out the spring greens for whatever greens you like: Asparagus, spinach, chard or broccoli are all great in this.”
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 3/4 oz diced pancetta (optional)
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
5 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated, plus the rind (this thickens the soup)
14 oz can green lentils
7 oz dried pasta, such as short rigatoni or fusilli
small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
small bunch of fresh mint, roughly chopped
zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
7 oz spring greens or cabbage, finely sliced
7 oz frozen peas or broad beans
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick saucepan over a medium–high burner. Add the diced pancetta, if using, and fry for about 5 minutes, until crispy.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic slices. Gently fry for about 2 minutes until they begin to turn golden. Tip the stock into the pan, along with the Parmesan rind. Add the whole can of green lentils, along with their liquid. Increase the heat to medium–high and bring to a boil. Season with salt, then add the pasta and boil away for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the Parmesan sprinkle. Place half the parsley and mint in a bowl and set the rest aside. Add the grated Parmesan, lemon zest and hazelnuts to the herbs in the bowl and stir to combine. Season well.
Once the pasta is cooked through, stir in the spring greens and peas or broad beans. Cook until the greens are just wilted, then squeeze in the lemon juice and stir through the remaining herbs. Bring to the boil.
Remove and discard the Parmesan rind, then ladle the minestrone into 4 bowls, scatter over the Parmesan sprinkle and serve.
Yield: Serves 4