Sometimes we have an unseasonably warm and dry September in Vermont. So even though the leaves start to turn, my weekly dinner plan still screams summer. Think: hearty dinner salads, grilled marinated chicken and pasta tossed with burrata, cherry tomatoes and tons of fresh herbs.

But then, just like that, everything changes. The nights will be cool enough to sleep without a fan or air conditioning. I’m wearing a sweatshirt until noon most days. And I’m actually wearing socks for more than working out. In other words, soup season is finally here. 

And the first recipe I make every year to kick off the best season is One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan. This soup is on heavy rotation in the colder weather months at my house. I almost always have all of the ingredients on hand, so I can basically whip it up on a whim. It serves at least six, so we always have leftovers. It reheats beautifully for weekday lunches, but it also freezes like a dream. I’ve also been known to make a double batch so we can have leftovers and freeze some! My future self is so appreciative of that move.

While the recipe calls for frozen mirepoix—a mix of onion, celery and carrot—I use fresh, typically going for a ratio of two parts onion to one part each celery and carrot. After the veggies are nice and soft (I tend to let them brown a bit too), I add the lentils, broth, canned tomatoes and seasonings. I like how French green or black lentils hold their shape, so I usually use those. 

If I’m out of broth, I usually have bouillon paste that I’ll add along with water. The recipe as written is not particularly brothy, so I usually double it, which has the added benefit of making more servings. I almost always have chicken broth on hand, so that’s what I use, but any flavor you have will be delicious.

While the recipe calls for salt, pepper and crushed red pepper, the secret-weapon seasoning is the optional Parmesan rind, which is not optional in my opinion and is the key to the soup’s deliciousness. While you don’t eat that part of the cheese, it’s still packed with salty, umami goodness, which gives the soup so much flavor.

I buy Parmigiano-Reggiano in big wedges at Costco (it’s one of the four cheeses I always buy there!), and the wedges include the rind, so I always have it on hand. (Whenever we finish a wedge, I pop the rind in a bag in the freezer so I can add it to other soups and stews, too.) If you typically buy shredded or grated Parmesan, it’s worth buying a hunk with the rind for this use—I promise it’s worth it!

After the soup simmers away, into the pot goes some chopped kale, but if you have other greens in the fridge, go ahead and use those—frozen chopped spinach works as well. The recipe calls for adding a slug of vinegar and some chopped parsley before serving, but I usually add lemon juice instead for acidity and skip the parsley unless I have some on hand. 

When my parents were visiting, I made a pot of this soup on a particularly chilly fall day. I bought a fresh loaf of crusty bread and some fancy cheeses and served those with it, along with some sliced apples and grapes. It made for a soul-satisfying meal. And my lentil-soup-loving dad asked me for the recipe. 

Eating Well