Tomato-Lentil Soup
- 1 pound lentils, such as lentils de Norcia or small French lentils
- 4 cloves garlic, 1 crushed and 3 chopped, divided
- Salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small bulb fennel, cut into small dice
- 1 leek, quartered lengthwise then chopped
- 2 to 3 ribs celery with leafy tops, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 large bay leaf
- Herb bundle of parsley, thyme and rosemary (a few sprigs of each)
- Pepper
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups passata or tomato purée
- 1 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes
- Chili flakes and EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to serve
Rinse lentils well and add them to a large pot with enough water to cover by about 2 1/2 inches. Add crushed garlic clove and bring to a boil. Add salt, reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes. Turn off heat and let lentils cool in any remaining liquid.
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat with olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add chopped garlic, fennel, leeks, celery, onions, bay, herb bundle, some salt and pepper, and cook partially covered for 7-8 minutes to soften, stirring frequently. Add stock, passata or purée, and tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon or crushing them with your hands when you add them to the pot. Stir in cooled lentils; combine and simmer to combine flavors and until soup reaches desired thickness.
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