We love soup at Scordo.com and we’re not very picky when it comes to the variety. However, we do have a couple of pet peeves about soup preparation:
- Soup must be homemade (we’re vehemently opposed to canned soup).
- Homemade soup must start with water and not pre-packaged chicken, beef, or vegetable stock (there are some exceptions), but we generally like to taste the main ingredients in soups which isn’t stock or broth.
- If you’re going to have soup for dinner you need to include a “secondi;” that is, a second dish or entree that can help fill you up and provide a complete meal. This can include a piece of grilled chicken or fish, for example. There are exceptions, for example, when making lentil soup with pork or chicken sausage.
- 1 large onions
- 2 medium sized carrots
- 2 medium sized celery stalks
- 1 clove of garlic
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- 1 cup of dry lentils
- 2 cups of passato or pureed canned tomatoes
- 4 cups of fresh, filtered, water
- Finely dice the onion, celery stalks, carrots, and garlic.
- Sauté the above mixture (add salt and pepper to taste) for 8-10 minutes (depending on strength of flame) with 2 teaspoons of olive oil.Next, add one cup of dry lentils and about two cups of pureed canned tomatoes (not tomato sauce).
- You could substitute the canned tomatoes with a tomato paste/water mixture, but the flavor component will be different.
- Thereafter, add 4 cups of fresh water (filtered or purified water is best; remember water is the main ingredient in soup so opt for the best quality).
- Cook the ingredients for an hour (low flame) and serve! Add freshly grated Parmeggiono Reggiano.
Hi Vincent!
I found your blog through Brazen Careerist. I love the recipes, the food looks yummy and I will definitely try these out! I am not a fan of processed foods and soups either so I try to make things for scratch.
I agree that lentil soup, and soup in general, is great. Thanks for the recipe.
Vince, I know you have a good work-ethic, and I’m interested in your take on something I posted today about Ken Madoff, work and wealth. Would you mind taking a moment to weigh in with a comment at http://www.diamondcutlife.org/ken-madoff-and-wealth-without-work/
Thanks and best regards,
Alison
Mmm… looks good! I agree that no pre-packaged stock should ever be used when making soup. However, a good homemade chicken, beef or tukey stock is absolutely delicious as a base for soup!
@Valerie
Hi! Thanks for the comments and for trying the recipes out. Let me know if you’d like to see any new recipes!
@Jen Yes, I should have been a little more specific; I think homemade stock is fine for a base as a soup. But you could also develop a very good soup by using high quality ingredients without stock (I want to taste the ingredients in the soup and not just the stock)!
Vince
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I made this yesterday for lunch. I added a few of each chard and Italian kale. It was good. Today I cooked a cup of short pasta and added a pint of the left over soup. That was even better!
This is a great recipe. If you do want a decent veggie broth try Pacific organic. Also I love adding chopped kale (fresh organic) to lentil soup for the texture, color and health!
Good tips! We’ve tried the Pacific organic brand, it’s good!
Vin
Hi Vincent. I made homemade lentil soup for tonight. We have 8 inches of snow outside and a warm fire inside. Tonight we will sit down to a tasty dish of soup some fresh Italian bread and a nice glass of red wine. It can’t get any better! I love all your recipes. I have followed you and made many of your dishes. Thanks for keeping them authentic and easy to prepare.
Angela
I made this last night and the flavour of the vegetables was more than enough to flavour the broth, I was surprised and very pleased with the result. I reduced it a little, added some extra vegetables and served it with mashed potatoes as a delicious, vegan winter warming stew. Thanks so much for the recipe, exactly what I was looking for!