Author: Paul

I’ve got this New Years family tradition – lentil soup. You eat it on New Years Day to assure prosperity in the New Year. I make it every year. How do I make it? Try this. It’s close to how my father made it, although I’m pretty sure he didn’t add soy sauce, and I think I added the (truly modest amount of) garlic too.

This could just as easily be pea soup if you made it with dried peas instead of lentils, although no guarantees on the prosperity angle if you do THAT, But if you did, it might be fun if you added a handful of frozen peas five minutes or so before you planned to serve it.

Lentil soup

Start with about a three quart saucepan. Pour some oil in the bottom. Place under low to medium heat. Add:

a medium onion or more, chopped

a medium or larger carrot, chopped

a stalk of celery or more, chopped

a clove of garlic, sliced or chopped

Cook until soft. Add:

a quart to six cups of some kind of stock, or water if you don’t have stock. Ham stock is good. Chicken stock is good. Vegetable stock is good. I’ve never tried beef stock. But water is just fine.

a half pound of lentils

Bring to a simmer. While you’re waiting for that, add:

a sprinkling of oregano

a sprinkling of parsley

a bay leaf or two, depending on size

a splash or two of soy sauce

You could also add some chunks of ham, or several slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled, or a smoked pork chop if one wandered by, or none of these if you want to keep it vegetarian. (And when I say several slices, I’m probably talking about a quarter pound. I’d say, whatever you have left over but really, WHO has leftover bacon?) You could also add a chopped potato if you want, and/or a chopped tomato, especially if you have a forlorn tomato that needs to be used for something. Mushrooms might also be a good addition.

If you’re looking to make it a little different for a change, add a little curry, to taste.

I understand there is an Italian variant for New Years called ”New Years Good Luck Soup,” with sliced sweet sausage to resemble coins, spinach to resemble cash, and a handful of ditalini.

Simmer it for awhile. I’ve done this soup in an hour.

You could serve this with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Most often I don’t, but it’s pretty and it can be nice.