Judging by our weather there’s no doubt winter has settled in, made itself comfortable and by all indications is going to be sticking around for awhile. And my way of dealing with the cold is simple…make soup!
I never get tired of eating soup in the winter because no other meal provides such instant warmth and leaves you feeling so completely satisfied. Eating a good hearty soup practically requires that you have some good crusty bread for dunking! And I can’t argue with that.
Making soup allows you to be creative with your cooking. You can personalize it according to your tastes. The varieties are endless, and by making in quantity you can have several meals in the time it would take to make one. All good reasons to make soup.
I spotted a started bag of lentils in my pantry the other day. Since I don’t cook lentils very often and I had some leftover sausage in the fridge I decided to try the Lentil Sausage Soup from Ina Garten’s Barefoot in Paris Cookbook.
This is a delicious chicken based broth with lots of onions and leeks in addition to the carrots, celery, garlic and fresh thyme. I love the addition of the cumin which gives it a distinct flavor. I chose to use the red wine vinegar over the red wine. I find the red wine vinegar delivers just the right amount of tang to the broth. Also, I added left over cooked sweet Italian sausage instead of the Kielbasa this time, but I think the Kielbasa would give it more of a kick.
I’m also thinking the next time I make this I will substitute barley for the lentils. That is, of course, unless I have another started bag of lentils in the pantry!
Lentil Sausage Soup (Barefoot in Paris Cookbook, Ina Garten)
Makes 4 quarts (serves 8 to 10)
1 pound French green lentils such as du Puy (I used whatever green lentils I had)
¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large)
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 and ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium-diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium-diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 quarts homemade chicken stock or packaged broth
¼ cup tomato paste
1 pound kielbasa, cut in half lengthwise and sliced 1/3 inch thick (or whatever sausage you prefer)
2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (I used Pecorino Romano)
In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender.
Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes.
Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils.
Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa (or other sausage) and red wine (or red wine vinegar) and simmer until the sausage is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan or Romano.