REV: Deborah Madison's Lentil Minestrone

[lisas3575]

I did a search this time and didn't see any reviews of this... it's from her Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

I liked this quite a bit, but it's hard to go wrong. It's your basic minestrone with the additions of lentils and greens. It did get me to try collard greens for the first time! Quite tasty in this dish.

I found it to be much better after it had sat for a day or two, letting the flavors meld. I used Pacific organic veggie broth instead of making her stock, but that was my only deviation. I froze half of it without the pasta and will add it in when I thaw it out for some future meal.

I'd give this one an 8/10.

I'd be happy to post the recipe if anyone's interested.

[helene]

Thanks for sharing with us.

Since I don't have the book, I am really interested in getting the recipes.

Could you post it please.

thanks,

Hélène:cool:

[katygirl]

I'd love it too.

Thanks!

[lisas3575]

Yay! Someone finally replied! :cool: I checked this book out of my local library and I'm hoping the birthday fairie will leave it for me next month.

Lentil Minestrone

2 T olive oil, plus extra virgin to finish
2 C. finely chopped onion
2 T. tomato paste
1/4 C. Chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 carrots, diced
1 C. diced celery or celery root
satl and freshly milled pepper
1 C. French green lentils, sorted and rinsed
Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme sprigs
9 cups water or basic vegetable stock (page 196)
mushroom soy sauce to taste
1 bunch greens—mustard, broccoli rabe, chard or spinach [I used collard]
2 C. cooked small pasta—shells, orecchiette, or other favorite shape
Thin shavings of parmesan-reggiano

Heat the oil in a wide soup pot with the onion. Sauté over high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, parsley, garlic, vegetables and 2 teaspoons salt and cook 3 minutes more. Add the lentils, aromatics and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. If it needs more depth, add mushroom soy sauce [I used Worshestershire] to taste, starting with one tablespoon. (The soup may seem bland at this point, but the flavors will come together when the soup is finished.) Remove the aromatics.

Boil the greens in salted water until they're tender and bright green, then chop them coarsely. Just before serving, add the greens and the pasta to teh soup and heat through. Serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled into each bowl, a generous grind of pepper and the parmesan.

*****

My other revisions, besides what's noted above:
I couldn't see the point of boiling the greens in a seperate pot, then chopping the hot greens, then adding them to the soup. I chopped them raw and boiled them in the soup itself, and I'm still living to tell about it. I did boil the pasta seperately so it wouldn't get mooshy.

The parsley branches were awful to fish out of the stock-- next time I'd tie the parsley and the thyme together into one... branch? and it would be much easier to fish out. I'd also maybe add some squash next time, zuchinni or a yellow squash for color.

I also didn't serve it with the extra oil. Didn't miss it, or the calories.

[katygirl]

Thanks so much Lisa. It has been chilly here and I was just craving a yummy good for me soup!

[helene]

Thanks a lot,

I really appreciate that you posted the recipe.