Lentils for Luck – Italian Recipe for a Prosperous New Year

Prefer to read this post in English? Skip to the text in  green.

gold coins     Secondo l’usanza italiana, se ti vuoi assicurare di un nuovo anno fortunato, a Capodanno  devi mangiare le lenticchie. Piatte e tonde, assomigliano le monete, e per il fatto che aumentano in misura durante la cottura, simboleggiano soldi e crescita finanziaria. Di solito in Italia le lenticchie si preparano in forma di una gustosa zuppa che viene mangiata nel periodo di Capodanno.

     According to Italian custom, if you want to ensure good luck in the new year, you must eat lentils on New Year’s Eve/Day.  Flat and round, they resemble coins, and due to the fact that they expand in size during cooking, they symbolize money and financial growth.  In Italy, lentils are usually prepared in the form of a tasty stew or soup eaten during the New Year period.

[Let me hear from you if you enjoy learning about Italian cooking, and I’ll share more recipes! Leave a comment!]


Ecco la mia ricetta – È deliziosa e abbastanza facile.

Here’s my recipe – It’s delicious and pretty easy.

[Printer-friendly version of recipe]

Zuppa di lenticchie | Lentil Stew

Persone: 4  |  Preparazione: 30 minuti  |  Cottura: circa 2 ore   |  Difficoltà: media

Serves: 4  |  Preparation: 30 minutes  |  Cooking time: about 2 hours  |  Difficulty: medium

Ingredienti | Ingredients  [Italian | English]lenticchie-2

  1. 300 gr lenticchie verdi secche | 10-11 oz dry green lentils
  2. 1-2 cucchiai olio d’oliva | 1-2 tblsp olive oil
  3. 1-2 cucchiai di burro | 1-2 tbsp butter
  4. peperoncino q.b. /quanto basta | red chili pepper, to taste
  5. 1 cipolla tritata | 1 chopped onion
  6. 1 costola di sedano tritata | 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  7. 2 gambi di porro tritati | 2 bulbs/stems chopped leeks
  8. 1 carota tritata | 1 chopped carrot
  9. 1 bicchiere di vino bianco secco | 1 c./8oz. dry white wine
  10. 1 pomodoro piccolo tritato | 1 small chopped tomato
  11. 1 foglia di alloro | 1 bay  leaf
  12. 8-10 bicchieri (2-2 ½ litri) d’acqua | 8-10 c. (2-2 ½ qt.) water
  13. Dadi di brodo vegetale q.b./quanto basta (circa un dado per litro d’acqua) | Broth cubes, as needed (approx. 1 cube per quart of water)
  14. Sale e pepe, q.b. | Salt and pepper, to taste
  15. Qualche rametto di timo fresco A few sprigs of fresh thyme
  16. Facoltativo: 300 gr cotechino o altra salsiccia | Optional:  10-11 oz. “cotechino”, a traditional Italian pork sausage, or other sausage

Preparazione | Directions

  1. Sciacquate le lenticchie e mettetele in ammolo in acqua fredda per circa 2-3 ore.
    1. Rinse and soak lentils in cold water for approx. 2-3 hours.
  2. Riscaldate l’acqua con i dadi di brodo e tenetela coperta a fuoco lento finche occorre.
    1. Heat the water with broth cubes and keep covered at a simmer until needed.
  3. Trascorso il tempo di ammollo, potete iniziare a preparare la zuppa di lenticchie.  In una pentola grande rosolate  cipolla, porro, sedano e carote tritati nel burro e l’olio d’oliva.italian food italian cooking
    1. Upon completion of soaking time, in a large pan sauté the chopped onion, leeks, carrot and celery in the butter and olive oil, until onion is transparent.
  4. Aggiungete le lenticchie, ben scolate dall’acqua di ammollo,e la foglia di alloro, girandole 1-2 minuti mentre assorbono il burro, l’olio ed i gusti della verdura.
    1. Add lentils, having drained the soaking water, and the bay leaf, stirring 1-2 minutes as they absorb the butter, oil and flavors of the vegetables.
  5. Aggiungete e fate sfumare il vino bianco, girando il tutto a fuoco basso.
    1. Add white wine and stir the mix while sautéing so wine absorbs into lentils as it evaporates.
  6. Aggiungete il pomodoro e girate a fuoco lento.
    1. Add tomato and stir while sautéing.
  7. Aggiungete sale e pepe quanto basta.
    1. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Aggiungete circa la meta` del brodo e coprire la pentola. Controllate, girate ed assaggiate di tanto in tanto, aggiundendo del brodo in piu` quando occorre ed evitando che le lenticchie si attaccano. Attenzione che le lenticchie ultimate siano al dente e non stracotte.
    1. Add about half the broth and cover the pan. Check, stir and taste every so often, adding more broth as needed to avoid lentils cooking to the bottom of pan.  Take care that the finished lentils are “al dente” and not overcooked (when ready, lentils should be soft but not mushy).
  9. Aggiungete del sale quanto basta.
    1. Add salt as needed/to taste.
  10. In una padella a parte, fate rosolare le salsicce. Abbiate cura a non stracuocerle. Alla fine della cottura la pelle sara` diventata biancastra. Dovrebbero essere tenere e non dure.
    1. In a separate pan, steam the sausage(s). Be careful not to overcook. When finished, the casings will have turned white. They should be tender, not tough.
  11. Quando le salsicce saranno ultimate, toglietele dalla fiamma e togliere la pelle.
    1. When sausages are cooked, remove from heat and remove casings.
  12. capodanno-buon anno 2014

    Buon Anno | Happy New Year!

    Quando la zuppa di lenticchie sara` ultimate, toglietela dalla fiamma, togliete la foglia di alloro, aggiungete del timo fresco e mescolate.  Affettate le salsicce, mettete le fette in cima alle porzioni di zuppa ed aggiungete un rametto di timo fresco. Buon appetito e prospero anno !

    1. When lentils have finished cooking, remove from heat, remove bay leaf, add the leaves of several fresh sprigs of thyme and mix.  Slice the sausages, put slices over the top of the portions of lentil stew, add a sprig of thyme and serve.  Good eating and Prosperous New Year!

Un sacco di lenticchie

P.S. Don’t have the time or desire to cook? No problem! Another tradition to ensure good luck in the new year is simply to cross the threshold of your home at the stroke of midnight and enter your household carrying a sack of lentils!

Have you ever eaten lentil soup?  What special foods do you eat at New Year’s?

Let me hear from you if you enjoy learning about Italian cooking, and I’ll share more recipes! Leave a comment!

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1 Response to Lentils for Luck – Italian Recipe for a Prosperous New Year

  1. Ellen says:

    Thank you for this. Just came across your website and am enjoying it. My daughter took Italian in high school and college and I decided to try to learn. We found you because she remembered the Italian children’s song similar to “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly” Love that you put the recipe in Italian and English. Will be fun to practice with that. Would love more recipes!

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