Lesson n.2: soups and risotto. Lentil soup

The second lesson of my cooking course was about soups and risotto. During the class my teacher Gabriella prepared some wonderful lentil, bea and onion soups and a risotto with radicchio from Treviso (a very traditional radicchio from the North east of Italy). At home I made the lentil soup, a very simple and good recipe that I write here below. I also made the risotto with radicchio, another simple dish, which my family appreciated very much. Indeed, we were so hungry and it was so good, that I forgot to take pictures...Don't worry, I will do it again soon (stay tuned...).

Lentil soup

(the recipe is taken from my class cookbook written by Roberta Molani)

300 g soaked lentils
50 g bacon cubes
3-4 little potatoes
1/4 onion
1/2 celery stick
1/2 carrot
1/2 hot pepper
1 chopped garlic clove
2 tablespoon tomato paste (diluted with water)
1 sprig of rosemary
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
salt
pepper

Brown the fat mirepoix (chopped mixed of celery, carrot, onion, garlic and bacon) with 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil; add lentils, rosemary, hot peper, peeled potatoes and tomato paste. Fill with hot water to level and cook for 30-40 minutes after boiling, add salt and pepper at the end. Regulate with hot water during cooking if necessary.