Back in the day when we were first married, soup for supper was a necessity because it was basically what we newlyweds could afford. Once the children came along, soup was a great budget stretcher and awesome way to sneak vegetables into finicky eaters' diets.
As my culinary curiosity and my need to practice skills developed, I found that making soups and stews were economical ways to practice cooking, examining flavor profiles and creating recipes.
Today, I try to make soup a main course meal at least once a week...and as the cooler weather sets in, I often serve a small bowl or"verrine" a 4 ounce serving in a tavern glass...kind of like a large shooter... as our starter before meals, three or four times a week. Again, it is a great way to get more vegetables into our diets, and because we are eating in courses, the pace of our meal slows down...and we eat smaller main plates...being kinder to our waistlines as well as wallets!
I love legumes...and I first had the lentils featured in this recipe in Lyon, France. I'd never had lentils before...I think they had a reputation of being peasant food...and can be yucky if not treated as a proper main ingredient. The bowl I ordered was kind of stew-like, thick and rich, with the integrity of the lentils still intact...it was richly flavored with mire-poix (carrots, onions and celery) , a hit of cumin and top off with the loveliest slice of perfectly prepared fois gras...peasant food, my eye!
Ever since Lyon, I keep a few jars of lentils on my counter...and I will make a batch on a cool day...serve some for supper and save some in the freezer for when Bill is off traveling for business...when he is away, I have soup for supper almost every day!
The inspiration for this lentil soup recipe came to me via a sausage soup recipe I found in a charity cookbook..the WCRB Horn Of Plenty Cookbook II...I added the lentils and some dark greens to stretch the recipe when our budget was tight...
Please enjoy...Lentil Soup with Sausage and Greens
Serves 6-8 as a main course
Ingredients
2 links spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
1 carrot, small dice
2 ribs of celery, trimmed and small dice
1 medium Vidalia onion, small dice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
5 ounces baby spinach, stems trimmed and chopped
5 ounces baby kale, stems trimmed and chopped
5 ounces escarole, chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
14.5 ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
8 ounces brown lentils or green lentils du Puy, checked for stones and rinsed
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp, chopped flat leaf Italian parsley
1/2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
5 cups low sodium chicken broth
Olive oil for cooking and finishing the soup
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Optional: Parmesan cheese rind** ( I save the rinds of cheese in a plastic bag in my freezer. When added to a soup or sauce, the rind adds a richness and slight saltiness that adds depth of flavor to any long simmered dish).
Method
Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Brown the sausage until golden brown and crumbly.
Remove from the pan on a paper towel lined plate; set aside.
Add the carrot, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften and start to brown, about 10 minutes.
Increase the heat to medium high and add the tomato paste, stirring constantly until the paste darkens and becomes fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the spinach, kale and half the escarole and cook until they start to wilt.
Add the broth, 2 cups of water, lentils, canned tomatoes, bay leaves and Parmesan rind, if using **.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low, simmering the soup until the lentils are soft...about 1 hour.
Ten minutes before serving, stir in the remaining escarole and return the sausage to the pot.
Taste for seasonings and adjust.
Serve in warmed bowls...drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and additional cheese for garnish.
To make this a vegetarian meal, omit the sausage, and use low sodium vegetable broth.
Serve with a crusty loaf of French bread or Sour Dough.
Recommended wine: Cotes du Rhone
Bon Appetit!
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