Lentil Minestrone

Here is one of my favorite soup recipes--we make it at least every other week. Great way to get your greens. (And Livvy loves it, too!) It's from Deborah Madison's book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Lentil Minestrone

2 T. olive oil, plus extra virgin to finish

2 cups finely chopped onion

2 T. tomato paste

1/4 cup chopped parsley

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 carrots, diced

1 cup diced celery or celery root

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup French green lentils, sorted and rinsed

Aromatics: 2 bay leaves, 8 parsley branches, 6 thyme sprigs

9 cups water or Vegetable Stock

Mushroom soy sauce to taste

1 bunch greens--mustard, broccoli rabe, chard, spinach, kale, etc.

2 cups cooked small pasta--shells, orecchiette, or other favorite shape

Thin shavings of Parmesan

Heat the oil in a wide soup pot with the onion. Saute over high heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste, parsley, garlic, vegetables, and 2 teaspoons salt and cook 3 minutes more. Add the lentils, aromatics, and water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper. If it needs more depth, add mushroom soy sauce to taste, starting with 1 tablespoon. (The soup may seem bland at this point, but the flavors will come together when the soup is finished.) Remove the aromatics.

Boil the greens in salted water until they're tender and bright green, then chop them coarsely. Just before serving, add the greens and the pasta to the soup and heat through. Serve with extra virgin olive oil drizzled into each bowl, a generous grind of pepper, and the Parmesan.