Katie
The temperatures really dropped recently. It got real cold real fast! Consequently, I was feeling a little under the weather this week. I knew soup would be just what the doctor ordered. I also had a package of precooked lentils from Trader Joe’s in my fridge that I wanted to use, so I searched my Soup Board on Pinterest for lentil soups. I came across this Rachael Ray recipe from her show Week in a Day and was very excited. Not only did it have lentils, but it also had kale (an item I’ve been wanting to cook with more).
This soup as “souper” comforting (haha, see what I did there?). It did take a while to make. If you’re short on time, make sure you dice up the veggies (especially the potatoes) really small and use precooked lentils (like me). The original recipe called for hot sausage and only 1 hot pepper. I used garlic flavored chicken sausage though, so I decided to go with two Serrano peppers. This definitely added quite a kick! If you don’t like spicy, I would stick to just one pepper. It’s also a very filling soup, thanks to the sausage, lentils, and great veggies. You won’t even need bread to dip (although, bread never hurts)!
Start with the prep…
- Chop up 4 cloves of garlic, 2 Serrano peppers, an onion, 2 carrots, and 2 ribs of celery.
- Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add 12 ounces of crumbled garlic flavored chicken sausage.
- Brown the sausage. It will take about 8-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, peel and chop 2 russet potatoes.
- Add all of the veggies to the browned sausage.
- Mix everything up.
- Chop up 2 sprigs of rosemary and add it to the pot.
- Season with ½ teaspoon cumin.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt.
- Finish with ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Stir again and let cook until the veggies are tender, about 10-12 minutes.
- Add 1 bag of chopped kale.
- Season the kale with a little nutmeg.
- Stir in the kale and let it wilt.
- Once the kale is wilted, add ¼ cup tomato paste.
- Stir the tomato paste and let cook for about 30 seconds.
- Pour in 1 cup dry white wine.
- Deglaze the pot (scrape up any brown bits).
- Let the wine reduce by half, then add about 2 cups of precooked lentils.
- Pour in 4 cups of chicken broth.
- Finish with 2 cups water.
- Stir again.
- Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Mmmm…so comforting!
Enjoy!
One Year Ago: Mexican Stuffed Peppers
Sausage, Lentil, and Kale Soup (serves 8)
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces garlic flavored chicken sausages, crumbled
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Serrano peppers, thinly sliced
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 bag chopped kale
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups precooked lentils
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the sausage and cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Add the celery, carrots, onion, hot peppers, potatoes, rosemary, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Stir to combine everything and let cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the kale and season with the nutmeg.
- Stir and cook until the kale wilts.
- Add the tomato pasta, stir, and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Pour in the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Let the wine reduce by half then add the lentils.
- Pour in the broth and water.
- Stir, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes.
