This is a cook’s cookbook — Something from Nothing is about cooking when the fridge looks uninspiring and expectations are low. It rewards confidence and common sense, and it teaches you how to think your way through a meal.

Serves: 4

•  2 tbsp unsalted butter (or more olive oil)

• 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more

• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

• 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

• 1 medium yellow or red onion or 2 large shallots, thinly sliced

• Kosher Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tsp fennel seeds

• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more

• ¾ cup red lentils

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

• 6 cups water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth

• Sour cream, full-fat yogurt, or Parmesan cheese if you like

Step 1:

Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, fennel, and onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel and onions are completelysoftened and start to caramelize a bit, 12 to 15 min. (This builds a lot of flavour for your soup—don’t rush it.)

Step 2:

Add the fennel seeds and red pepper flakes, stirring to encourage contact with the pot so the spices have a chance to toast for a minute or two. Add the lentils, crushed tomatoes and 6 cups of liquid of your choosing. (I make mine with water, and it’s perfect, but if you have some broth to use or want to add some Better Than Bouillon to your water, go for it.)

Step 3:

Season everything with salt and pepper and bring to a strong simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the lentils have nearly disappeared into the pot, 45–50 minutes. Stir every now andthen (especially toward the end of cooking) to encourage the lentils and tomatoes to break down and into one another. If the soup doesn’t feel quite thick enough or the lentils are somehow still not near-mush, increase the heat slightly and continue to cook until it happens. It will happen!

Step 4:

To serve, give the soup one more season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and finish with more olive oil, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I am continually shocked at how good this soup is with nothing else (no squeeze of lemon, no fresh herb in sight!), but I do like to spoon a little dollop of sour cream or yogurt into the bottom of my bowl and top it with the soup. What a treat that is, a little buried puddle of melting sour cream at the bottom of your bowl. A true gift!

What You'll Need