On cold winter days a nice hot soup it’s what we need. And, if among the ingredients of this Villalba Lentils and Romanesco Broccoli Soup there are the rich in nutrients lentils and broccoli, we have all the requisites for a delightfully healthy comfort food dish.

This recipe represent a deliciously simple and convenient Italian first course, that requires affordable pantry ingredients and a straightforward preparation.

The legumes I’ve used for this soup, are a special type of brown lentils typical of Villalba – a lovely town located in the Caltanisetta province, right in the middle of the beautiful island of Sicily.
The area is part of the Slow Food Project to protect local biodiversity.

“The Presidium brings together a dozen producers who have decided to follow a strict cultivation protocol and promote this precious variety of lentil.” (Ark of Taste, Slow Food Foundation)

And here’s what you’ll need to make the soup.
Delightfully yours,
Vittoria

---

Recipe: Villalba Lentils and Romanesco Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

• 250 g of lentils
• 350 g of Romanesco broccoli
• 1 onion
• 1 stick of celery
• 2 carrots
• 1,5 L of vegetable stock (or water)
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 4 slices of stale bread (toasted)
• extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

Directions

1. Soak the lentils for about 15 min.
2. Meanwhile, clean the broccoli by reducing them into florets. Rinse them in cold water and precook the florets in a steamer for about 7 minutes.
3. Warm some oil in a sauté pan.
4. Peel and finely chop the carrots, celery and onion; sauté the mix in the pan until the onion has softened and is turning translucent; it’s about 5 minutes, by stirring often.
5. Add the lentils, then the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for around 30 minutes. Taste, the lentils should be tender but still hold their shape.
6. Add the broccoli florets and cook for 2 more minutes, or until the veggie has softened to your liking.
7. Season generously with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and the parsley.
8. Serve while hot, with a slice of bread.

Buon Appetibilis!

Recipe Notes: This recipe was created for the special event “The legumes of the straight furrow” held in Valentano (Viterbo province, in the Northern part of Lazio region).
Here’s the original recipe in Italian.