Lentil, fennel and parmesan “stoup” with charred tomato salsa

Name: Lentil, fennel and parmesan “stoup” with charred tomato salsa
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 80ml olive oil; 1 large onion (190g), chopped in about 1 cm pieces; 1 large fennel bulb (280g), trimmed and chopped into 1 cm dice; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 tsp fennel seeds; 5 sprigs oregano; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock; 300g puy lentils, washed under plenty of cold water; 20g grated parmesan, plus extra for serving; ½ tsp chilli flakes; 360g datterini tomatoes; 90ml olive oil; 6 garlic cloves, crushed; 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a pestle and mortar; 10g picked oregano, plus 5g extra; fine sea salt and black pepper

Instructions

This is the lentil stoup (or perhaps it’s a stew?) I’ll be making again and again this winter - and not just because it keeps so well for batch cooking. Sweet fennel and nutty parmesan make the lentils feel even more comforting, and if you have a couple of parmesan rinds lying around, swap them in for the 20g piece for extra flavour. Serve it as is, or with chunks of rustic bread for dunking- either way, it’s nourishing, hearty, and super satisfying.

Updated at: Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:17:51 GMT