Name: Hearty Italian Lentil Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup lentils; 1.3333333730698 quarts water, divided; 0.66666668653488 cup uncooked long grain white rice; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 pound ground beef; 1 egg, lightly beaten; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley; 3 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs; salt, to taste; ground black pepper, to taste; 1 quart tomato sauce; 0.25 cup grated Parmesan cheese for topping

Ingredients

Instructions

Step 1

Place lentils in a pot with 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside.
Step 2

Bring rice and 1 1/3 cup water to boil in a pot. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 3

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. In a bowl, combine the ground beef, beaten egg, garlic, 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, parsley, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Form ground beef mixture into 1 inch balls. Place meatballs in skillet and cook 5 minutes or until evenly brown.
Step 4

In a large pot, bring the tomato sauce and 4 cups water to a boil. Transfer the browned meatballs to the pot. Mix in cooked lentils and rice. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese to serve.

Enjoy your meal!