This is a tradition in Italian culture, they eat a deliciously nutritious lentil soup on NYE. Lenticchie (lentils) are believed to bring good luck and prosperity in the coming year to those who eat them on New Year's Eve.
An Italian gentleman I work with gave me his mother’s recipe that has been passed down over the generations so of course I have to keep the name to honor that beautiful tradition! And I only had to change it slightly to make it vegan!
Grandma Liz’s Lentil soup
Ingredients
1 bag lentils (1lb/450g) rinse and take out any bad ones
48oz/1.5L of veggie broth
4 stalks of celery chopped or sliced
6-8 Carrots chopped or sliced (as many as you like really)
Pinch Paprika for color
Dash of garlic powder
Salt and pepper to your taste
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Method
Add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to boil.
Add more water if it becomes too thick. (Some Italians eat the soup thick, some soupy -just go with your preference)
I did mine in the slow cooker for 8 hours until lentils were soft.
Taste and add seasoning as needed.
Turn off heat and add a drizzle of olive oil to coat top - to taste, you can add more olive oil if needed.
I used Mountain Town Olive Oil Co. California Garlic Olive Oil - so good!
