Gilda's Famous Lentil Soup

Zuppa di Lenticchie di Gilda
Lentils are marvelous things. Extolling the health benefits and relatively low cost of these legumes seems almost redundant these days, so I won’t dwell on their virtues, except to say that there’s plenty of reading material about the great culinary value this food has all over the world.
Lentils are delicious and hearty without being overly dense. There are three types of lentils – normal, red, and French; my mother used the French type – or the darker legume.
Cost effective, I lived off this soup while at the university, as a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Africa, and I continue to enjoy it even now. It doesn’t require much work and stores well. It was one of Wally’s favorite soups.
My mother made it regularly – my sister Adele was particularly fond of it – she would even ask her to make it when we lived in Syosset.
This recipe has one or two modest embellishments which, of course, are optional but I think they transcend the soup from ordinary to ottimo! The first enhancement agent is pancetta, no surprise there – lentils and cured pork belly pair famously. The second is the used rinds of old Parmigiano Reggiano cheese wedges. Italians have a soup preparation they call ribollita where they throw these rinds in (along with the entire contents of an exhausted vegetable drawer of a refrigerator). You get a cheesy flavor in the soup that’s just amazing. Plus, you’re using what is essentially waste. (If you haven’t been saving your rinds, you can always mix in some grated fresh Parmigiano Reggiano at the end of cooking, but I wouldn’t recommend the canned grated cheese – it’s crap, if you would excuse my deprecatory wording).
Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
3 oz pancetta, chopped into very small pieces (optional)
1 small or ½ large onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 leeks, cleaned and halved then cut into thin semi-circles
½ t sea salt
4 toes garlic, chopped fine
6 c stock (chicken, rabbit, pork, or vegetable)
1 can of petite cut tomatoes
1 lb lentils, washed and removed of pebbles
2-3 Parmigiano Reggiano rinds (optional)
1 t thyme (or 3 sprigs of fresh, leaves removed and chopped)
1 t oregano (or 3 sprigs of fresh, leaves removed and chopped)
Italian parsley to garnish, chopped fine
Preparation:
Heat the optional pancetta in the olive oil on medium-low flame for 10 minutes until the fat renders. Next, add the vegetables up through the leeks and the salt (if you chose to eschew the pancetta, simply add the vegetables to the oil) and sweat for 5-10 minutes, until the leeks soften. With a minute or two to go, add the garlic.
Next, add the stock, tomatoes and lentils, and then bring to a boil. Next, reduce to a simmer and add the cheese rinds and spices. Simmer the soup mixture for 35-45 minutes, until the lentils are cooked to your liking (this will involve testing them every few minutes after the 35 minute mark). Normal and red lentils will probably be on the short side of the cooking time whereas French ones will be on the high side.
At this point, remove an amount of the soup to your blender/processor and blend until smooth. Add this back into the pot to thicken matters slightly. I do not recommend an amount to remove because this is contingent on how smooth/thick/chunky you like your soup. I’d say around a cup is a nice balance. Remember- always be careful transferring and blending hot liquids.
Let the soup cool before serving. Do not serve soup piping hot – the great flavors in the soup will be hidden.
Buon appetito da Gilda!