The flavor of this dish improves on the second day, so it's ideal to make in advance. Add the chard just before serving to preserve its color. Stir in a little water when you reheat the soup if it's too thick.
This, soup, more like a stew it was so thick, was my favorite recipe from ten days of cooking for vegan guests. The only change I made was to use veg broth instead of chicken and vegan bacon instead of pancetta. The bacon provided no pan drippings to brown the veg, so I just added more oil, but it did provide nice flavor and texture in the stew, very much like the pancetta would have. Loved the root vegetables, the balsamic, the shallots and the red onions, and the last minute Swiss chard. The lentils were complex and rich tasting and the whole thing was even good cold, could actually see it as a cold salad. Next time I might even add some veg apple sausage to make it even deeper flavored and thicker. Seriously, this recipe is fantastic! Our vegan guests were delighted with it, took the recipe and will be adding it to their repertoire.
great flavor!! definitely too much work for weeknight cooking (i found the recipe in my cooking light weeknight cookbook), but worth the effort. i substituted red potatoes for the sweet potatoes and butternut squash for the parsnips.
Made it as written omitting parsnips (didn't have any). Actually had no taste the first day...the third day, though, wow! Unbelievably good after the flavors married. Tasted like soup from a French restaurant. My only suggestion would be to spray the foil before roasting the vegetables so they don't stick. Will definitely make again! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2013 revision: I was so looking forward to this soup this winter...but I was really disappointed, I don't know why. It was just bland, no matter how long it hung out in the fridge. Veggies certainly don't taste balsamic-y after adding to soup. I even tried using bacon. I'm sad to say it's off my rotation!
Delicious, healthy use of winter veg. I'm not a huge fan of parsnip, so next time I will sub rutabaga. Def needs add'l 2 - 3 c. liquid. Used red wine since that's what I had on hand. Other than that, followed the recipe. I thought it might be too sweet for my palate with the carrots, sw potato and balsamic, but it was just right. Will def make it again!
I guess I'm alone here, but my husband and I did not like this at all. I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of using dried thyme instead of fresh. Maybe that was the difference? I won't be making it again to find out.
Absolutely delicious! I used bacon and veggie broth instead of pancetta and chicken broth because that is what I had in the house. I served it with Oatmeal Knots, another Cooking Light recipe. Be aware that this is a time consuming recipe, but if you have the time it is so worth it. The leftovers are just as good, so if you are only cooking for one or two people you can put in the time and effort once and can enjoy this soup for several meals. A+
Yummy!!! I may like this soup more than the Winter Vegetable one. They are both super! The flavors are fantastic in this soup and it's very healthy. It's pretty enough to serve for company with broiled French bread toasts with melted gruyere cheese. I did use 8 cups of chicken broth, adding 6 cups at the beginning and then 2 at the end.
This recipe is delicious and easy to make. I made it exactly as described, with no changes. The result was a very, very hearty and earthy soup. This is the only thing you might want to consider -- if you want something a bit lighter or less earthy, add more water and/or substitute out some of the veggies as others have described.
I highly recommend this as a hardy fall/winter-time soup. I discovered this recipe years ago and have continued to make it time and time again. It has never failed to be an absolute favorite. A great way to get kids to eat yummy veggies.
Absolutely delicious!!!! I used a red swiss chard, which added even more color to the dish. I wouldn't change a thing !!! EXCELLENT !
