Lidia Bastianich Lentil Soup Food

VEGETABLE SOUP (LIDIA BASTIANICH)

Steps:

• Add onion chunks, garlic cloves, basil, parsley, and 1/4 cup olive oil in the food processor bowl; chop to a chunky-textured pesto.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into large soup pot, set over med-high heat; scrape in the pesto; cook, stirring often, as it sizzles and dries, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lift the rehydrated porcini from the soaking liquid (strain/reserve the liquid) and chop into fine bits.
• When the pesto just begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, drop the porcini, the chopped celery, carrots, tomato, and diced potatoes into the pot, and stir well.
• Cook over high heat, stirring until the potatoes become crusty and start to stick to the bottom.
• Pour in the cold water and the porcini soaking liquid; stir in the salt and heat the water to a vigorous bubble.
• Drop in the cheese rind, partially cover the pot, and adjust to maintain a steady bubbling.
• Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour--until the vegetables begin to break down; add the chicory, spinach, and peas.
• Return to a bubbling boil, and cook 30 minutes longer, until the broth is concentrated and flavorful and the total volume has reduced by about a quarter.
• Ladle the simmering soup into warm bowls; sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated cheese over each portion, and finish with a swirl of excellent olive oil; pass more grated cheese at the table.

PASTA WITH LENTILS (PASTA CON LENTICCHE) - LIDIA BASTIANICH

Steps:

• Place lentils in a large pot. Add enough water to just cover. Add celery, carrot, onion and bay, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 20 minutes, until lentils are tender.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil.
• Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until it just begins to turn golden. Add the lentils (vegetables, liquid and all) and tomatoes, salt and red pepper flake. If it seems thick, add a splash of water from the pasta pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until reduced by about a third, 10-15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook until ALMOST al dente. Drain the pasta and add to the lentils to finish cooking for the last 1-2 minutes. Finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil and garnish with chopped parsley.

BRAISED LENTILS WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Pour enough cold water over the lentils, onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves in a 3-quart saucepan to cover by three fingers. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat so the water is at a gentle boil and cook until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the lentils, discard the bay leaves, and transfer to a large skillet.
• Pour in the chicken stock and olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced enough to coat the lentils, about 3 minutes. Scatter the spinach over the lentils and toss just until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot set over medium heat, and toss in the pancetta. Cook and stir until the pancetta renders its fat, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and carrot, cooking until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Pour in the water, and add 1 tablespoon of the salt. Partially cover, bring to a rapid simmer, and cook to develop the flavors, about 25 minutes.
• Add the cauliflower and lentils, and bring again to a rapid simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the cauliflower has broken down and the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Season with remaining salt.
• Serve soup in bowls, with a drizzle of olive oil and some grated cheese.

LENTIL AND BROCCOLI SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the florets from the broccoli stalks; cut the florets into pieces of about 1/2 inch.
• Trim the rough bottoms from the stalks, peel the stalks, and cut them into 1/2-inch dice.
• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat; add in the potatoes and cook, stirring, until they are golden and begin to stick to the bottom of the pot (don't worry if they stick; the little brown bits will add lots of flavor to the soup).
• Whack the garlic with the flat side of a knife, stir it into the pot and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until you can smell the garlic.
• Pour in the hot water and bring to a vigorous boil, stirring as you do to scrape up any browned bits of potato.
• Toss in the bay leaves and cook for 15 minutes.
• Stir in the lentils, decrease heat to simmering, and let simmer 15 minutes.
• Stir in the broccoli; season the soup with salt and pepper; cook until the broccoli and lentils are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• Skim any foam that rises to the surface as the soup simmers.
• Remove the soup from the heat; pluck out the bay leaves, and let the soup rest off the heat, 10-15 minutes.
• Ladle the soup into warm bowls and drizzle with olive oil; pass the grated Pecorino separately.