Lentil and Sausage Soup

Lentil and Sausage Soup

For months, I had been dreaming of lentil soup.  I knew in order for these dreams to end, I had to make some variation, but wanted to find just the right recipe.  I checked recipe after recipe, had ideas of adaptations I wanted to make, but couldn’t find just the right twist.  I read through each recipe, tasting in my mind what the finished product would be, and couldn’t find one with an ingredient that was just different enough to make it interesting.  That is, until I came upon Ina Garten’s Lentil Sausage Soup.  Sausage.  Kielbasa to be exact.  That made me go “hmm.”  That was exactly what I was looking for!  I love those aha moments!  Leave it to Ina Garten to have exactly what I wanted.

We made the soup, with some additions of our own, and absolutely loved it!  When it says French green lentils, please do try to find them.  Regular green lentils lose their shape and become more like split peas.  It would still be delicious, but I love that the French lentils hold their shape.  Just my two cents. J

The bonus is, this soup makes a lot of meals, so some can be frozen for later…or even better, some can be shared with friends!  Enjoy with a crusty baguette and you have a delicious, healthful meal.

Ingredients

1 Pound French green lentils

¼ Cup olive oil

4 Cups yellow onions, diced (2 HUGE onions did the trick for me)

4 Cups leeks, washed and chopped, white and light green parts (2 leeks)

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon salt

1 ½ Teaspoons black pepper

1 Teaspoon thyme, dried, or 1 Tablespoon thyme, fresh

1 Teaspoon cumin

3 Cups celery, diced (8 stalks)

4 Carrots, diced

2 Parsnips, diced

3 Quarts chicken stock

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 28 oz. Can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand, with juice

1 Pound kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and sliced (I used turkey kielbasa to reduce fat)

1/4 Teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

Parmesan rind (if you have one on hand, which I did and decided to toss into the soup!)

Step 1

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow them to sit for 15 minutes.  Then drain them and set them aside for later.

Step 2

While the lentils are sitting, begin chopping your onions, leeks (slice in half and clean between the layers well…lots of sand in there!) and garlic.  Then get a large stockpot heating over medium heat.  Add the olive oil. 

When it is hot, add the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, crushed red peppers and cumin.  Sauté the mixture for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Step 3

While the mixture is sautéing (be sure to stir occasionally), chop your celery, carrots and parsnips.  It might take longer than your onion mixture will need to cook.  Just take it off the heat when it is tender and continue chopping your veggies. 

When they are all ready, add them to the onion mixture and sauté for another 10 minutes.

Step 4

While the veggies sauté, open your can of whole tomatoes and crush them by hand, with all the juices.  When the veggies are ready, add the chicken stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, lentils (drained), and Parmesan rind.  Bring it to a boil, covered.  Then reduce the heat to simmer and remove the lid.  Allow the soup to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Step 5

When the hour is almost over, slice the sausage in half lengthwise and then slice into 1/3 inch pieces.  Check the soup’s seasoning level when the hour is over.  Add more salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, thyme or cumin according to your own taste. 

Then remove the Parmesan rind and add the sausage and red wine vinegar.  Simmer for another 5 – 10 minutes, just to heat the kielbasa.

To serve, I topped it with Parmesan cheese.  Bon appetite!

Gastronome's Note:  This soup can easily be made vegetarian!  Just substitute the chicken stock for vegetable stock and leave out the kielbasa.