There are two star ingredients in today’s soup — and if you asked me which one I liked best, I’d be hard pressed to choose. These two ingredients, although entirely different, are on the same pedestal, at least for me.
Lentilles du Puy* are little French green lentils that have been cultivated in the region of Le Puy-en-Velay, in the Haute-Loire, for more than 2000 years. They are so prized that they have their own AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) seal.
These are the diamonds of lentils, blessed with a nutty, earthy flavor and a delicate texture that no other lentil can rival. The tiny legumes acquire their distinct flavor from the thin volcanic soil they grow in, and the abundant sunshine that drenches their native land.
As if that weren’t enough to distinguish them, lentilles du Puy also are very high in protein yet very low in carbohydrates, which allows them to hold their shape as they cook without getting mushy. It’s easy to see why these lentils find their way into many of my recipes — including today’s soup.
And what of saffron**? This regal spice fetches a king’s ransom for sure, but it also delivers considerable flavor. The spice lives inside the three tiny stigmas of the female saffron crocus flower (crocus sativus), each of which must be hand-harvested. (No wonder saffron is by weight the world’s most expensive spice!)
True saffron threads (another name for the stigmas) or powder should have a deep orangey-red hue, so don’t be fooled by pale yellow-orange copycats! The best way to tell is by paying close attention to its color — and its price tag. If you want true saffron, you will have to be willing to loosen your purse strings.
But what a divine flavor those microscopic stigmas conceal! Saffron has a lovely, mellow and yet potent fragrance and a positively intoxicating flavor.
On a side note, I always use saffron threads in my recipes, rather than saffron powder. Perhaps it’s my suspicious nature… but I want to make sure that I am buying the real thing. Some recommend soaking the threads before cooking with them, but I like to gently pound them to a powder instead. (See the pictures and instructions after the recipe.)
Two star ingredients, one mighty delicious soup – and it only takes minutes to prepare. One instance where less truly is more.
* Lentilles du Puy can be purchased in gourmet food stores or online at MarketHallFoods.com
** Saffron can be purchased in gourmet food stores or online at Penzeys Spices, LaTienda.com and Saffron.com
Rioja – Crianza
For this soup, I envisioned a light- to medium-bodied red with round flavors and a bit of spice. That’s when a Rioja came to mind — not a Reserva (which could easily overwhelm the delicate flavors of the soup) but a Crianza, aged only about 2 years. Typically a blend of Trempranillo and Grenache grapes, Rioja Crianza boasts ripe cherry flavors, a hint of spice and oak, smooth texture, and balanced acidity. All of which pairs beautifully with the spinach-lentil soup to make a truly palatable first course.
Spinach–Lentil Soup with Saffron and Manchego
serves 4
active time: 20 min
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large shallots – skinned, quartered and finely sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4 large garlic cloves – finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon loosely packed saffron threads (0.25gr) – gently pounded in a mortar
- 1 – 15 oz (425gr) can peeled plum tomatoes – puréed in the food processor
- 1/2 cup lentilles du Puy (French green lentils) or black beluga lentils
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups spring water
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 6 oz (170gr) baby spinach – rinsed and spun dry
- 1 teaspoon aged sherry vinegar (preferably 50 years old)
- freshly grated Manchego as garnish
- extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Step 1: Heat a large heavy-bottomed soup pot at medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and shallots and sauté for 2 minutes until softened. Add the wine, garlic and saffron and simmer until the wine has evaporated and looks syrupy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the puréed tomatoes, lentils, stock, water, salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Uncover the pot, raise heat to medium and add the spinach leaves. Simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes only, until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat, add the vinegar and stir well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- Step 2: Ladle the soup in bowls. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, and serve immediately.
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Cooking with saffron threads
Place saffron threads in a mortar (make sure mortar is dry).
Gently pound with the pestle to crush the threads to a fine powder. This will allow all the flavor to be released from the stigmas and therefore add more flavor to your dish.
Disclaimer: As always, my point of view is my own. I do not accept samples, and have no commercial relationship with any product, food or wine company.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
Sounds like a very hearth-warming soup :) Earthy, fresh and aromatic but, where is the bread? eheh
Oh Alex… I thought you were making me a loaf of bread to go with that soup!
Ach so! Bread coming your way :-D Plain or with orange zest? ;)
Alex! I think a plain, crusty loaf sounds great!
Dana & Debi… I’m so glad you both love Manchego. I must say it’s one of my favorite cheeses too… especially when it melts in a warm soup!
Thank you all for your comments – as always, they just warm my heart!
Manchego! Genius! I am not a cheese person, but I absolutely love manchego and can’t even imagine how delicious it is garnishing this soup. I love all lentils but those are my favorite.
Ooh, look at that Manchego just melting into the soup! I may need a crouton to dunk into the middle :)
Beautiful soup, Viviane. And vegetarian too! I’m a Manchego addict, but I don’t think I’ve ever used it with soup before. It’s an inspired idea, though, that I’ll be sure to copy!
I’ll have to follow your advice on the saffron, in the past I haven’t been so impressed by it-possibly by buying the cheap stuff. What a stunningly cute little bowl!
I absolutely love Lentilles de Puy because of their earthy flavor. Thank you for so much for this recipe and for making it extra special.
I have the hardest time finding these lentils and I am tasting this soup… wanting it… needing it. The saffron is just a luscious addition.
Yum, this soup sounds so heart-warming and satisfying, and I love the Manchego shredded on top-that’s one of my favorite cheeses!
GORGEOUS soup! I LOVE those lentils. Maybe I can convince my hubby to cook tonight so I can have some of this. It sounds perfect for someone feeling under the weather!
Viviane- This looks and sounds wonderful. I was thinking of something like this for tonight but it never materialized! I am going to try your recipe soon. See you on Sunday.
Sonia
This lentil soup looks amazing, I love the idea that it has spinach in it, looks very healthy indeed.
Just made this tonight and it was delicious! I used a variety of beans and lentils and my family and I couldn’t get enough of it!
I love French green lentils. What a beautiful soup.
What a gorgeous, hearty soup. Will have to put French green lentils on my list of things to try. The manchego and saffron are calling my name, too.
Can’t wait to make this. I adore Lentilles du Puy! Beautiful post.
Thanks for the education Viviane. There’s so much to learn. Great photo’s. Looking forward to cooking some for Rich & I. :)
I made this soup for dinner and everyone found it enjoyable! With saffron and Manchego cheese already in my pantry I set out to purchase the green lentils and baby spinach. Living in Salinas, CA fresh spinach is readily availabe but I was unable to locate green lentils. I used regular brown lentils from my pantry and had a stellar soup for dinner.
Deb! Thank you so much for letting me know about the soup. Brown lentils will do perfectly well for the soup of course… I am so glad everyone enjoyed it! I do hope you can find green lentils though… They are truly superb. I get mine in my local health food store.
Viviane, I just serve the Spinach Lentil soup for dinner this evening. It is delicious! Dave enjoyed it, even with lentils and spinach! Although he mentioned that the spinach could be chopped. I only had a half teaspoon of saffron, so I suspect that the flavor would even be better with more. And I used a Wilson Daniels Chardonnay, which is wonderfull at room temperature; not dry but well balanced. Since I did not have a Sherry Vinegar, I substituted a teaspoon of a 1929 Cuvee Dom Perignon Champagne. We had opened it two years ago; the fizz had already dissipated from it before then, but it still had some flavor. So I saved it, hoping for some interesting vinegar. It still is not a strong vinegar but the flavor is still there. In the recipe, I did not see when to add the vinegar, although I surmised that it was after the spinach was wilted. Thank you also for introducing us to the Manchego cheese. It is mild and flavorful. I definitely enjoy your recipes and suggestions. Thank you so much.
Dear Chris, How lovely to get such a detailed comment from you – thank you! I’m delighted the soup turned out well and I must apologize for the omission of the vinegar in the recipe. I actually became aware of this last week and corrected the recipe (if you printed it, make sure you get another copy now). The vinegar should be added at the very end. Sherry vinegar has a lovely mellow flavor, hence my using it in this recipe, but just about any vinegar would do as a teaspoon is very little, and it is only added to brighten the flavors. I’m very proud of Dave for being brave enough to try both the spinach and the lentils – Kudos! Thank you so much for letting me know how the recipe turned out. Your feedback is always so wonderful and so welcomed. Happy cooking dear Chris… and happy eating too!
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