I have a history of cooking or baking in preparation for or during a snowstorm (see Nemo cookies and Nika cookies). On Sunday, not knowing anything about the snowpocalypse heading our way, I did some meal planning and headed to the grocery store. Based on the state of the grocery store, I knew something was up, which I then confirmed via social media. Luckily I was not in the market for milk, eggs, or bread. It was also lucky that one of the meals I planned to make was this sausage lentil soup, a perfect blizzard meal…it was warm, hearty, and delicious.
It probably does not come as a surprise to you that I omitted the zucchini from the original recipe. I also left out the olive oil (sausage renders enough fat for cooking), decreased the salt, and forgot to add the red wine vinegar.
Juno soup (sausage and lentil)
Serves: 6-8
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| Pretty green lentils! |
Source: adapted from A Hint of Honey
Ingredients
1 pound dried green lentils
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings and broken up into small pieces
1 large onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more to taste)
1 teaspoon dried basil (or Italian seasoning)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (28 ounces) fire roasted crushed tomatoes
Olive oil and freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Directions
1. In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
2. Add sausage to a very large pot and cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, until browned and no longer pink.
3. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper, and dried herbs. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often.
4. Add the chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and drained lentils. Increase heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked through and tender, stirring occasionally. If needed, add water partway through cooking to thin the soup.
6. Drizzle individual bowls with olive oil and season with freshly ground black pepper, and serve with crusty bread.
Kara Cooks and Eats 