New Year's Eve Lentil Soup at Nonna's

The holidays were always filled with love and excitement and a LOT of cooking.  There were three of us kids, my brother Phillip, my cousin Raymond Argeo's son) and me.  Following Italian tradition, the children did not leave the house until they got married.  My oldest uncle Argeo and my mother, Liliana (Lillian) married young and moved out.  My uncle Vincenzo (Vincent) married late in life (I think he was 42) and my two aunts, Gelsina and Philipina (Phyllis) never married and remained in my grandmother's home.

My mom, dad, brother and I often spent New Year's Eve at my grandmother's house. With that came the traditional preparation of the lentil soup to be eaten at midnight.  Italian tradition has it that to insure prosperity and wealth in the coming year you need to eat lentil soup at midnight.  So all the "girls" gathered in the kitchen and made the fantastical soup.

My Nonna's (and Aunt P's) Lentil Soup

What You Need:

1 cup of brown lentils, sorted and rinsed
2 carrots peeled and cut into large dice
2 ribs of celery, cut into large dice
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and cut into slivers
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced or pressed
3 to 4 cups of cold water (quanto basta)
1 small meaty ham bone
Salt and pepper to taste.

How you Make It:

Place rinsed lentils in a large soup pot.  Add the carrots, celery, garlic, onions and ham bone.  Add the water, enough to cover the ingredients.

Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat; skim what raises to the top.  When you have skimmed it all off, add salt and pepper, cover, placing a wooden spoon on the rim to vent the lid.

Simmer until lentils are tender; about 1 to 2 hours.

Remove ham bone and remove any pieces of ham from the bone. Return the meat to the pot.  Stir to combine.

At the stroke of midnight, eat your bowl of lentil soup!

Buon Anno!