Simple comfort when we need it most: Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup

Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup is delicious, comforting, infinitely flexible—vegetarian, not vegetarian—and easy to make from what you have on hand. Recipe below.

SHELTER IN PLACE. Enough has been said about how we got to this strange time and place that I don’t need to add anything here. But suddenly, more of us are cooking at home than ever, oftentimes with what we have at hand. Partly, of course, it is by necessity. But many of us are taking comfort in cooking.

My email inbox is stuffed with subject lines like “Cook the food that makes you feel good” and “How to get the most flavor out of canned tomatoes” and “86 ways to use up all those beans.”

Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup will help you use up some of those beans, and some dried lentils. It uses a lot of mostly normal ingredients you may already have in the pantry or fridge if you cook fairly regularly.

And it is infinitely flexible. Make it vegetarian by swapping grated Parmesan for the bacon. Out of Parmesan? Add in some cheddar or gouda or whatever cheese you have, for a little richness and umami. In place of the bacon, use a little ham or chopped up chicken or pork.

Spinach, frozen or otherwise, can stand in for kale. So can chard or mustard greens. No celery? Add a tiny bit of celery salt, or just skip the celery. Add a can of tomatoes if you feel like it. You get the idea—cook with what you have. As we like to say here, it won’t be the same, but it will be different. And it will be a comforting meal. That you cooked.

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Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup

Delicious, comforting, infinitely flexible—vegetarian, not vegetarian—and easy to make from what you have on hand.

Servings 4

Equipment

• Dutch oven or large stockpot

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon (if making non-vegetarian version)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (if making vegetarian version)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 teaspoon fresh)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed and drained (brown or French green)
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
• 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups torn kale leaves, loosely packed (tough stems removed)
• water (if needed)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (if making vegetarian version)

Instructions

• Cook bacon until just crispy, over medium flame in the bottom of a Dutch oven or large stockpot. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and reserve. (If you’re making it vegetarian, skip this step and heat olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium flame.)
• Add onion, carrots and celery to either the bacon fat or olive oil in the pot. Season lightly with salt and generously with pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. You don’t want to brown the the vegetables, just sweat them—reduce heat, if needed.
• Clear a space in the middle of the pan, and add the thyme and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, about 45 seconds. Add the lentils to the pot and stir everything together.
• Add the chicken or vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high flame, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer until lentils are just tender, 20 to 30 minutes. (The older dried pulses and beans are, the longer they take to cook; start sampling at 20 minutes.)
• Stir cannellini beans and kale into the pot, adding water, if it’s cooked down too much. I actually added a cup of water. Cook until kale is tender and beans are heated through, 5 minutes or a little longer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
• Divide among four soup bowls. Top with crumbled bacon—or sprinkle with Parmesan if you’re making the vegetarian version. Serve.