Zuppa di lenticchie e patate

In my home country of the U.S, the name Fall could arguably be swapped out in favor of Pumpkin Spice Season. After all, the two are pretty much synonymous, the arrival of autumn kicking off America’s annual celebration of pumpkin paired with warming spices. Food blogs and sites feature recipes for pumpkin cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies and cakes. Dunkin’ Donuts puts pumpkin spice flavored coffee on its menu. You’ll even find oddities like pumpkin spice Oreos, Cheerios, Twinkies, and — as of this year — Goldfish on supermarket shelves. In short, this annual whirlwind of fragrant, fiery-orange goodness operates on the assumption that everything is better when tinged with pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger. I too am an active participant in pumpkin-mania (evidenced here) and can’t comfortably settle into Fall until I’ve baked a loaf of Pumpkin Bread.

And yet.

This Fall feels a little different. Maybe it’s because the cost of canned pumpkin at my go-to specialty food store has risen to a whopping EUR 7.40/can, or because I’ve been on a cookie-centric baking spree, but autumn is turning out to be — plot twist! — Soup Season. That’s right: carrot, celery, onion, and whatever else I feel like throwing into the pot has taken precedence over the usual pumpkin and cinnamon so prevalent in my kitchen in October. This is likely due to a combination of working from home (lunch for days!), a supply of A+ veg just a 30 second trip from my apartment, and a desire to feel cozy as the temperatures drop ever so slightly here in Rome. The result, in any case, has been soupendous, a marathon of everything from butternut squash to roasted tomato soup, plus this lentil and potato soup, or zuppa di lenticchie e patate, aka (zu-pah dee len-teek-yay e pah-tah-tay)!

Now: this soup isn’t super rich or luxurious. It’s an understated, fills-free affair, and I think it’s safe to say it won’t be winning any beauty contests. In place of flashiness, however, you’ll find a simple, genuine, no-nonsense dish, the brothy equivalent of a warm (yet sensible) sweater on a cold day. An array of humble ingredients combine forces to create a mighty soup, one packed with velvety lentils, creamy potatoes, and the usual behind-the-scenes crew: carrot, celery, and onion. There’s a kick of peperoncino, a hint of garlic, and a nice warmth thanks to fresh rosemary and sage. And wait, there’s more! It’s wholesome and nutritious, its flavor develops and improves in the days following, and as someone who doesn’t eat a lot of meat, it’s a good way to get your protein. If you leave out the Parmesan, you can also make it a vegan dish, a downright rarity on a blog that leans heavily on butter, cheese, and eggs. This is perhaps my very favorite episode of Soup Season 1 so far, and I have a strong reason to believe it might just be yours too.

A couple of notes: Like most soup recipes, this one is pretty flexible. Use my suggestions as a base and sub in whatever beans you want; use a sweet potato instead of a white potato; add in some greens; add in sausage or pancetta; leave out the peperoncino if slightly spicy isn’t your thing; make this as thin or as thick as you want (see the recipe below). Substitute some of the broth for crushed tomatoes, if you want.

Looking for other soup recipes? Click here.

ZUPPA DI LENTICCHIE E PATATE

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 dry peperoncino (optional)
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
A couple of sage leaves, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and cubed
2 cans of lentils, drained and rinsed
5-6 cups (about 1.5 quarts) of vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
A cheese rind (optional)

Bread + extra Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:
In a large pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil (eyeball it) and add your garlic cloves and peperoncino (if using). Once they both become fragrant, add the onion, carrot, celery, sage, and rosemary, and saute until the vegetables are softened. Add the cheese rind (if using) plus 1/2 teaspoon salt and the potato to the pot, and mix well. Let the potatoes hang out for a few minutes (picking up all the flavor acquired so far!) and then add the lentils. Stir well once again, and after a minute or so, add 5 cups of broth to the pot.

Let the soup come to a vigorous bubble, then lower the heat slightly and cook until the potatoes are softened and cooked throughout. Taste for salt and pepper (I added another 1/4 teaspoon, but I leave this choice up to you, based on your tastes and the amount of salt in the broth you are using). Fish out the garlic cloves and peperoncino. At this stage, you have a couple of choices to make: if you want a thinner soup, add another 1 cup of broth. If you want a thicker soup, puree a ladle full or so of the soup in a food processor, and then add it back to the pot. Or do a mix of both - the choice is up to you. Whatever you decide, serve the soup hot with some bread on the side for dipping, and a drizzle of olive oil and lots of freshly grated Parmesan over the top.