Italian tomato soup with brown lentils and vegetables

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 60 g lentils, brown, dried
• n. B. Water for soaking
• 1 can beefsteak tomatoes, red, Italian, approx. 480 g drained weight
• 6 small onions, red
• 2 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 40 g bacon, streaky
• 4 tbsp frozen celery, cut into small rolls
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Tomato juice from the canned tomatoes
• 2 m.-large bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 2 sage leaves, dried
• n. B. Chicken broth, granulated
• n. B. Black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 m.-sized potatoes, mainly waxy
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s)
• n. B. Flowers and leaves for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 18 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 18 hours 35 minutes

A simple lentil soup with winter vegetables as a starter. Recipe from Apulia, Italy.

Wash the lentils until the water runs clear. Soak them overnight in enough water to cover them well. Cut the beefsteak tomatoes into fingernail-sized pieces and use them with the tomato juice. Trim both ends of the onions and garlic cloves, peel them, and chop them into small pieces. Measure and thaw the celery stalks. Wash, peel, and halve the potatoes lengthwise, then halve the halves lengthwise and quarter them crosswise. Wash the carrot, trim both ends, peel, and score the top quarter lengthwise. Slice the whole carrot crosswise into approximately 3 mm thick slices. Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onions and garlic, and fry until the onions begin to brown. Add the bacon and fry for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the tomato juice, add the lentils with their soaking liquid and the celery stalks, and bring to a simmer. Season with chicken broth and pepper, then add the spices. After 5 minutes, add the potatoes, followed by another 3 minutes of carrot slices. Simmer for another 5 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Ladle the warm soup into serving bowls, serve, and enjoy. Tip: Serve with white bread as a snack.