Lentil Soup with Portobello Mushrooms & Spinach

Green, earthy, and mildly spicy, this hearty mix of legumes & meaty ’shrooms will satisfy both vegetarians & carnivores.

This soup improves greatly overnight, so it’s a great make-ahead dish. My habit is to keep soup in a two quart pitcher, and reheat one portion at a time. Be sure to serve this one with some quality Parmesan; some good Italian bread would be nice too.

The recipe is from Second Helpings from Union Square Cafe, by Danny Meyer and Chef Michael Romano:

12 oz portobello mushrooms, stems removed and caps rubbed clean

3 tbsp butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup peeled and chopped carrot

1 cup peeled and chopped celery

1 bay leaf

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced tomato

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper

1 1/2 cups brown lentils, picked over and rinsed

10 cups vegetable stock or water

6 packed cups stemmed and chopped spinach

1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1. Thinly slice the mushroom caps and then cut the slices crosswise into thirds. (You should have about 6 cups of sliced mushrooms.)

2. Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and thyme. Cook until the vegetables are softened, but not colored, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the portobellos, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they give up and then reabsorb their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Add the tomato and cook until the mixture is juicy, 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Stir in the salt, black and Aleppo peppers, and the lentils. Add the stock or water; bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.

6. Scoop out 1 cup of the lentils with a slotted spoon (some of the vegetables will cling to the lentils) and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and stir to continue.

7. Stir in the spinach, bring the soup to a simmer, and continue cooking until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.

8. Ladle the soup into a warm serving tureen or individual soup bowls. Sprinkle each serving with Parmigiano-Reggiano and drizzle with olive oil. Serve piping hot.

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