1/2 lb. brown lentils
1 onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic crushed
1 heaped tablespoon finely chopped parsley
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium size tin tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

"The lentils for this soup are the khaki coloured whole lentils, NOT the orange-coloured dried lentils which require longer soaking. Cook the lentils in 2 quarts of boiling, slightly salted water for an hour; strain but don't throw away the liquor -- and set on one side. Replace liquor in saucepan, bring to the boil and add parsley, onion and garlic, and when boiling furiously add the oil and allow to boil fairly briskly for a further ten minutes. Add strained tomatoes; replace lentils and boil gently for twenty minutes more. Serve very hot."

This recipe was taken from "Italian Cooking" by Dorothy Daly. It was published in 1900 by Spring Books in Great Britain. For the complete copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org. A variety of recipes are available from this cookbook on this website see "Italy Revisited/Italian Cookbook by Dorothy Daly." Photo: Mary Melfi.

Back to main list