Lentil Soup with Rice and Chicory

(Minestra di Lenticchie, Riso e Cicoria)

This hearty soup or minestra has its roots in Rome and is a home-style soup, designed for a simple lunch or dinner. Loaded with heart healthy lentils and rounded out with liver-supporting, delicately bitter chicory, this soup is a dream in a bowl.

Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredient List:

• 1 small head chicory, rinsed very well (you may also use escarole)
• Sea salt
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled, left whole
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• Generous pinch crushed red chili flakes
• 1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed well
• ½ cup short grain brown rice, rinsed well
• 5 cups spring or filtered water
• 2 tablespoons white miso
• 3-4 sprigs fresh flatleaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Step By Step Instructions:

Bring a medium-size pot of water to the boil with a generous pinch of salt. Cook chicory for 2-3 minutes. Drain well and squeeze any water from the chicory when it’s cool enough to handle. Chop finely and set aside.

In a medium soup pot, place about 2 tablespoons olive oil and whole garlic cloves over medium heat. Let the garlic sweat for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and discard. Stir in onion, chili flakes and a pinch of salt and sauté’ for 2-3 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add crushed tomatoes, lentils and rice. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until rice and lentils are quite soft, almost creamy, about 45 minutes. Remove a small amount of hot broth, dissolve miso and stir back into soup, taking care not to boil the miso. Simmer for 1 minute.

To serve, stir chopped chicory into the soup and ladle into individual bowls. Serve garnished with parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.