Instructions: 1. Place the lentils in a medium-size saucepan with water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to a very slow but steady simmer. Cook, covered, until the lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Place the cabbage, cauliflower, butternut squash, onion, carrot, celery, cheese and the water in a large soup pot. Add the lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a very slow but steady simmer and cook, covered, until all the vegetables and the lentils are about 10 minutes shy of very soft (about 50 minutes).

3. About 10 minutes before the vegetables are very soft, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Stir in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot and pass freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Offer garlic croutons.

VARIATION:
* Replace lentils with other beans: chickpeas, cannellini or red kidney beans.
* Small pasta such as ditalini, elbows, shells or tubetti. (See review.)

REVIEW - Made about 10 cups. You might expect a hearty soup from such a mix of vegetables and pasta. Thats not the case. This soup has a clear broth flavored first by the kale cousins, cabbage and cauliflower. Soup is not clouded by starches: in fact its very low carb. No grit! Theres a pleasant balance between the 3 cups of cabbage and cauliflower and 3 cups of other veggies. The creamy lentils and tiny pasta offer depth. Good low cal, low carb, room for bread, cabbage and vegetable soup!

CHEESE - The freshly grated parmesan coalesced into little dumplings. If you want the cheese to flavor the soup but not clump, try dried parmesan or a cheese rind. We thought it could be omitted; used only as garnish.

SEASONING - We added fresh oregano, 2 bay leaves and salt and pepper. The broth needed the enhancement. We also added garlic croutons: A must! They fill in a missing flavor.

PASTA - Suggest using soup pasta: like acini di pepe or stellini. Do not use stock or broth. Use water. Let the veggie reign.

Description: "Butternut squash adds a hint of sweetness and a touch of color."
Yield: 10 cups

Serving Ideas : Starter or side dish

NOTES : Minestra di lenticchie, zucca, verze, e cavolfiore From Joe Famular: "This thick and nutritious soup is truly a whole meal by itself. Although I am unable to link it to a specific region of Italy, it is a soup I enjoyed throughout my childhood. My grandmother, a good cook, made it often." Reheats well. Refrigerate up to 1 week.

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