Marcella Hazan Lentil Soup Recipe
Marcella Hazan was an Italian cookbook author and teacher who is often referred to as “the Godmother of Italian cooking”. She wrote several books on classic Italian cuisine that are renowned for their simplicity yet deliciousness.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 217kcal
Equipment
- Medium-sized saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons diced onion
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 pound dried lentils
- 5 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 6 cups water
- 2 cups canned reduced-sodium beef broth
- 6 tablespoons Unsalted butter
- 10 teaspoons chopped celery
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5 tablespoons finely shredded carrot
- 5 tablespoons Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 2/3 cup of very thinly sliced deli ham (or prosciutto)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over a medium flame. Once heated, add the chopped onion and celery and sauté for approximately 5 minutes until they become softened. Then, add in the dried lentils and continue to cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the canned Italian plum tomatoes (including the juice) and beef broth. Also, add 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt to taste. Bring the mixture up to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Add butter, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese to the soup. Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. This will allow all the flavors to blend together nicely.
- Lastly, toss in the prosciutto or unsmoked ham and cook for about 2-3 minutes more. Taste the soup afterward and adjust any of the seasonings as needed before serving.
- Serve your homemade Marcella Hazan Lentil Soup in individual bowls and top with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- If you want the soup to be a bit lighter, add some more water or vegetable broth.
- You can also substitute the ham for bacon or pancetta if desired.
- If you don’t have canned tomatoes on hand, use fresh ones instead – just make sure to deseed them first!
- Feel free to add other vegetables like zucchini or potatoes if you want a heartier soup.
- To make the soup creamier, stir in some heavy cream at the end of cooking.