Zuppa di Lenticchie e Peperoncino
A warming Calabrian brown lentil soup gently simmered with celery, tomatoes, and spicy peperoncino chilli.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 360 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-bottomed pot or terracotta casserole
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
- •Fine-mesh sieve
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 45 g
- fibre
- 14 g
- protein
- 19 g
- calories
- 360 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the lentils thoroughly in cold water using a fine-mesh sieve.
- 2
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
- 3
Add the chopped onion, diced celery, and crushed garlic to the pot.
- 4
Fry gently for 6 to 8 minutes until the onion is soft and sweet.
- 5
Stir in the Calabrian peperoncino and bay leaf for one minute until aromatic.
- 6
Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- 7
Tip the drained lentils into the pot and stir to coat in the aromatics.
- 8
Pour in the water and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
- 9
Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 35 minutes.
- 10
Stir in the sea salt and simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes until tender.
- 11
Discard the bay leaf and garlic, stir through parsley, and ladle into warm bowls.
Chef's tips
Calabrian dried chilli has intense heat, so adjust the quantity to suit your personal tolerance. Cooking lentils in a traditional earthenware pot yields the softest texture without breaking the pulse skins.
Ingredient substitutions
- dried brown lentils → Puy green lentils or Castelluccio brown lentils
- Calabrian chilli (peperoncino) → standard dried red chilli flakes
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium-low heat, adding a splash of water to loosen the broth.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Salting the lentils at the beginning of cooking, which toughens the skins and slows tenderisation.
- •Boiling the soup vigorously, which bursts the lentils into a mush rather than keeping them whole.
Serving suggestions
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