Sardinian Lentil Soup with Lots of Herbs
Plus, announcing dates for this fall's Italy retreat!
Hello, everyone. I am writing to you from my home in Jackson, WY where we just received a few feet of fresh snow. This is what we call “sprinter”—the season between winter and spring. Luckily I have the perfect soup recipe for right now, whether you are stuck in winter or it’s already spring where you are.
I have enjoyed many versions of this hearty lentil soup while traveling in Sardinia, the rugged island off the west coast of Italy famous for its centenarians. Locals here forage for fresh herbs to stir into the soup, but you can find everything you need at the grocery store. Find the recipe below.
All this snow has me I am excited to finalize plans for warm weather brain health retreats for you all. I just announced a BHK retreat happening this June in Tecate, Mexico as part of Brain Health Week at Rancho La Puerta. And, I just set the dates for this fall’s retreat in Sardinia! Paying subscribers, find the registration info at the end of this post.
If you are a paying subscriber, you are the first to know about new retreats and have first dibs on spots. Next week I’ll be opening registration to all subscribers and on social media.
A Springtime Spin on Minestrone
The first time I had this springtime spin on minestrone, I was at a local bar in the tiny village of Baunei, high in the mountains of central Sardinia. Baunei is one of a cluster of towns that make up the original blue zones—noted for the exceptional longevity of the residents. Here, they call this soup “s’erbuzu” which, loosely translated, means “lots of herbs.” Each pot of s’erbuzu has a unique mix of wild herbs ranging from sweet to bitter. Locals walk the steep hills around town to forage for the ingredients.
Back home, I had to get creative in the produce section of the grocery store to find a combination of greens to give the soup its intensely herbal aroma. Fregola sarda—tiny couscous like balls of semolina typical in Sardinia—is the perfect pasta for this, but any small pasta shape will do.
I played around with different combinations of herbs, vegetables, and beans. In the end, green lentils were my favorite because they add even more verdant color to the soup and take exactly the same time to cook as the fregola sarda.
I am happy to report that you can easily cook up a pot of s’erbuzu even in the dead of winter and far from Italy. Use any herbs you like and add as many as you can to the pot. This hearty soup will be ready to eat in less than an hour.
Have you made this soup? I’d love to hear how you’ve changed up the ingredients. It’s a very flexible recipe!
RECIPE: SARDINIAN LENTIL SOUP WITH LOTS OF HERBS
When shopping for celery, look for a bunch that has lots of tender leaves. They really add flavor and aroma to this soup.
Makes 2 quarts
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 celery stalks finely chopped (about 2 cups), leaves reserved
1 large fennel bulb cored and finely diced (about 1½ cups), fronds finely chopped and reserved
1 medium yellow onion finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes plus more for serving
2 large large garlic cloves thinly sliced
½ cup dry white wine or water
8 cups vegetable, chicken, or beef stock
¾ cup green lentils
¾ cup fregola sarda whole wheat orzo, or other small whole grain pasta
1 large bunch Italian parsley, stems finely chopped, leaves coarsely chopped (each should yield about 1 cup)
⅓ cup fresh tarragon finely chopped
2 tablespoons chives finely chopped
Pecorino cheese optional
Lemon wedges
Instructions:
Warm the oil in a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add the celery, fennel, onion, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft, 8 to 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until the liquid is almost completely reduced, 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and stir in the lentils, fregola sarda, and parsley stems. Cook uncovered, stirring often to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot, at a low simmer until the lentils are tender and the pasta is al dente (soft but with a chewy bite), 20 to 30 minutes.
Just before serving, stir in the parsley and any celery leaves, fennel fronds, tarragon, and chives. Grate or shave Pecorino atop (if using), and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.
Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. The soup will thicken as it sits; add water or broth when reheating and an additional handful of fresh herbs before serving.
Come With Me to Sardinia This Fall
After the spring Sardinia trip filled so quickly, I got to work to plan another retreat for fall. That trip is being featured in National Geographic Traveller U.K.’s spring magazine, on stands soon!
Fall is a wonderful time to be in Italy—the weather is mild, the crowds are gone, and the locals are relaxed as they recover from a long tourist season. For this trip, we’ll again be spending time at the beach and in the mountains, while exploring the cluster of towns in the interior that make up the world’s original blue zones.
