Lenticci - Italian lentil soup (vegan)

On a wintery evening, I brought this soup to my volunteering event, where there were around 20 people. I made a concentrated pot, from around 3 cups of dried lentils, then diluted the soup at the kitchen of my volunteering place. The soup was quick to make, easy to scale up for a crowd. Everyone loved it!

A student-friendly meal that happens to be vegan and can also be gluten-free! On a cold evening, what is better than a bowl of soup that is warming, tasty, and effortless - with only 3 main ingredients? One of them you may have seen on your way to class today!

Ingredients, for 8-10 servings:

• 1 cup dry green lentils [cannot swap for red lentils]
• 3-4 cloves of garlic
• Rosemary
• Broth powder
• Optional: olive oil, black pepper, chili flakes

Steps:

• Soak the lentils in plenty of room-temperature or warm water for many hours, preferably overnight. Lentils will expand a lot, so make sure the water level is several centimeters above the lentils.
• Once the lentils expand, drain and rinse under the tap til the water runs clear. Add lentils to a big pot.
• Boil 1-1.5L of water, depending on how thick you would like the soup to be.
• Meanwhile, peel and crush 3-4 cloves of garlic. There is no need to chop the garlic. Put the crushed garlic in the pot.
• Add rosemary. Fresh rosemary has a stronger taste and smell than dried one.
• Optionally add some olive oil.
• Add the boiling water to the pot.
• Bring to a boil, then simmer on low-medium heat for 20-30 minutes til the lentils are soft.
• In a small bowl, add 3-4 Tbsp broth powder, 4-5 Tbsp boiling water, mix well to make sure there are no lumps left. Then pour this liquid into the pot. This will give a well-seasoned soup, free of lumps. You can make this recipe gluten-free by using a gluten-free broth powder.
• You can change the amount of broth powder to your taste.
• You can also add some ground black pepper or chili flakes as well.

A few notes:

• This soup is good to enjoy as is. It should taste hearty, warming, with hints of garlic and rosemary. Garlic and rosemary really elevate this soup to a new level, make it stand out from other lentil soup recipes, so don’t skip them!
• It is a perfect addition to meals or a hearty snack on its own. To make it a full meal, you can enjoy it with couscous or bulgur, or for some contrast of texture, with almond soup or croutons.
• The soup can be stored in the fridge up to 4-5 days, but is best enjoyed in the first 3 days.