Italian Lentils

In some areas of Italy, particularly on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, there are lands and places particularly suited to the cultivation of this legume, this lentil is the smallest and dark brown, always grown on lava soils and fertile. The lentils we offer are sown in January and harvested in June, when the plants are dry and are piled up in sheaves in the threshing floor waiting for the threshing. Until recently, this operation was still done as in the past, that is, donkeys were used to trample the plants with large stones and with a trident they were thrown into the air so that the wind would separate the straw from the lentils. Recently, the threshing machine was introduced which makes the operation more convenient and functional, without changing the same result: the lentils are always excellent, tender and tasty, ready in a short time without the need to soak them.

Packaged in 500 g bag.

tip: Lentil soup is a nutritious, good and very easy first course that in my house is eaten at least once a week. If you want a richer dish, or if you can't do without carbohydrates, you can reduce the quantities indicated in the recipe and add some pasta to the soup, perhaps spelt or wholemeal, or some rice but, in my opinion, it's a tasty and complete dish as it is. To give it a tasty touch, I added some croutons and, if you want, you can add some chili pepper. If you like stronger flavours and you are not a vegetarian you can complete the dish with crispy bacon, speck or guanciale. Peel the onion and wash and scrape the carrot. Wash the celery and remove the filaments. Then chop everything finely with a knife. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a crock pot or in the one you commonly use for legumes and fry the vegetables for a few minutes. Add the tomato paste and the dried lentils and mix well. Cover the lentils with about 1/2 litre of water and add a bay leaf and a sprig of rosemary. Cook over a gentle flame for about 40 minutes, adding more hot water if necessary. At the end of cooking, salt the soup and season with pepper. Remove the crust from the bread, cut it into cubes and brown it in a hot pan with half a tablespoon of oil. Serve the lentil soup and complete with croutons and a drizzle of raw oil.