Lentil Minestrone With Greens

Made this yesterday- it came out delicious! I used frozen spinach as suggested by one of the recent comments because the kale at the grocery store was too expensive the other day. I also added 2 sage leaves to the bouquet garni just because I have sage in my herb garden. I could not find a Parmesan rind so I cut off a hunk of hard Parmesan cheese and used that in the garni and it worked fine. I will definitely be making this healthy soup again.

Great easy recipe. Used collards I had left over from new years. Also chicken broth. It’s a winner with some home made crostini’s.

Largely the recipe for “Brawny”, tho I think I prefer our good old original

For me this recipe is great as a base because you can do some many different things with it. I add ground coriander, ground fennel, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and cumin. It becomes very fragrant with a hint of spice - maybe I ought to call it Moroccan Minestrone?

This recipe is so adaptable! I went ahead and added a potato instead of pasta, low sodium chicken stock instead of water, and threw in some more flavorful spices like garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, and red pepper flakes. I also added in a celery rib with the carrots and onion for more veg. The soup can taste kind of bland without adding in some more spices and no stock, but it's very easy to make super flavorful.

I added as pasta Fregola Tostata. Delicious.

I made this as stated and I don't think it had enough flavor. Usually something with this many and type of ingredients would taste great. This doesn't and it needs ALOT more salt. But I won't add it. I also won't make it again.

This is a great recipe! I used chicken stock, French lentils & added some Hungarian kielbasa- took this soup to another level of delicious.

This recipe was a cut above the abundant lentil soup recipes out there. Perhaps it was the mint in the dental floss I used to tie the bouquet garni. Otherwise I followed the recipe although I used a large can of tomatoes.

Fine recipe but very thick. I would use half the lentils for a soup.

Good and healthy lentil soup. It doesn’t need the macaroni. Add Parmesan rind at beginning. I hope it’s a bit more flavorful tomorrow! Would make again. (Used spinach and kale.)

Great base recipe. I’ve made this at least half a dozen times. My notes: dice one carrot, thinly slice a second & soften with the diced onions. I use half chicken stock, half water. Kale holds up really well, even after freezing. I finish with a tablespoon of aged balsamic- the aroma! Serve with crumbled feta. Yum!

Really delicious! Got way too ahead of myself on soup season but it’s still great with mildly warm weather. Used red onion, added mushrooms, green lentils (all that was in bulk), and veg broth. Splash of red wine to deglaze after the onion and a splash of red wine vinegar at the end for some acidity. The perfect soup recipes are ones that give you a great base and ample room to play—this is one of those.

Add a half a cup of non-tannic red wine after browning the onions and carrots (I used a Sonoma Syrah). Deglaze the pan and then cook the wind down for five minutes. Adds to the depth of flavor.

I have made this recipe numerous times. Sometimes I add celery for extra flavor. I add more carrots than it calls for. I use two cans of diced tomatoes and one quart chicken broth with 1.5 quarts of water (instead of 2.5 quarts water). Beluga lentils are best. I use 2.5 teaspoons Penzey's bouquet garni spice mixture plus several bay leaves instead of what the recipe suggests. Very tasty and it makes a lot. I like eating Kerry Irish Cheddar with this soup also. I leave out the pasta.