I am not sure why Italians eat lentils on New Year’s Eve for good luck in the coming year with pork (Cotechino) added to the dish. In Jamaica I do remember that we eat pork, and we had to go to church. No parties in my family because the saying is, paraphrasing of course, that you should end the year the way you want the new year to go. So, I don’t know how other Jamaicans celebrated. When I lived in Spain, I remember that Spaniards celebrated by eating as many grapes as possible during the twelve strokes of Midnight. Recently I have learned that African Americans (West African tradition) and the Scottish who came to American have the tradition of eating black-eyed peas. If we have this tradition in Jamaica, I am unaware as it has been quite a number of years since I last spent a New Year’s Eve there.
So, in my home we follow the Italian tradition, and really only because I add a lot of pork to it and always save the hambone from Thanksgiving that I freeze. This is added to my lentils for our New Year’s Eve dinner. My children and I love the pork, while my husband, who only eats lentils at this time does it for the good fortune. I actually do like lentils and always order them when in France. Perhaps that can explain why I only buy French lentils.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and know that I love extras, because they are so, so very good over a bed of rice. Tasty!!!! Happy 2021 to all and wishing you, health and much happiness!!!
Lentil Soup
Preparation: 15 minutes || Cooking: 45 minutes – 1 hour but depends on the type of lentils being used.
8 oz. of dried lentils, washed and drained
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium carrots, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 medium zucchini, diced
2 stalks of scallion, diced
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
1 large garlic clove, diced
4 oz. pancetta, diced (optional)
4 cups of vegetable broth
Salt & pepper to taste
1 hot pepper, whole
4 – 6 Bay leaf
Parsley, chopped and stems saved and chopped separately
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1. In a large pot heat the olive oil and sauté together the carrots, garlic, scallion, celery, zucchini, onion, parsley stems, and pancetta for about 2 minutes. Do this until the carrots begin to soften, adding about ¼ cup of broth to not brown too much the vegetables.
2. Add the lentils, bay leaf and the hot pepper, keep stirring. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for approximately 10 minutes.
3. At this point add the remaining broth. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes covered until the soup thickens somewhat. Remove the hot pepper if desired.
4. Serve the soup in bowls, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and a little olive oil and freshly ground pepper if desired.
Note:
My favorite lentils to use are the French lentils. You can use any type of lentil but cooking time may vary as will how much liquid you need as lentils do soak up a lot of the broth.
I make enough lentils to serve at lunch on New Year’s Day. On New Year’s Eve I prepare a special Italian sausage called Cotechino (prepare according to packaging), which I slice and serve over the lentils. In this case I make a thicker, and less soupy lentil dish. So, decrease the amount of broth used in that preparation.
