Lentil Soup with Sausage
This is a family favorite: uncomplicated, hearty and oh, so good!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups French green lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 Tbs. bacon fat or olive oil divided
- 3 or 4 sausages made with herbs and/or garlic
- 1 large yellow or white onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 3 stalks of celery and their leaves
- 1 Tbs. dried marjoram or an equivalent amount of fresh
- 4 or 5 carrots
- 4 cups chicken or beef stock
- 3 Tbs. ketchup
- 2 cups chopped spinach or 1-1/2 cups frozen
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Red wine vinegar to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 Tbs. of oil, or bacon fat with one of the bay leaves and gently saute the sausages, if they are not already cooked. Remove from pan and slice into ¾“ pieces.
- Rinse lentils in cold water several times and place on the stove in a saucepan with three cups of hot water. Cook lentils while you chop the vegetables. Add more hot water as they cook, if they start to look dry.
- Dice the onions and garlic. Add the remaining oil or bacon fat to the pan and saute onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the onions look translucent, push them aside with a spoon and add the wine. Cook for a minute or two to deglaze the pot.
- Stir in the lentils and add stock.
- Chop the celery and leaves, and add to soup. Add the marjoram, remaining bay leaf, and stir well, continuing to cook.
- Add carrots and cooked sausages to pot along with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook for at least another ten minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water, if needed.
- Add ketchup and stir well. Cook until carrots are tender.
- Test and correct seasonings. Add spinach and parsley. Serve hot.
- Pass red wine vinegar separately. Serve with a hearty whole grain bread. Serves 4-6.
