Tasty Bites: Lentil Soup with Sausage

By Beth V

It's getting to be that time of year again... soup season. The cool morning temperatures are starting to hint that fall is really coming. It may still get up to the mid to upper-eighties here in the South during the heat of the day, but it doesn't keep this mid-Atlantic girl from treasuring the cool mornings and evenings and dreaming of days where the highs are about 65. It can always feel like fall in an air-conditioned house, right?  Believe me, a high of 85 feels like fall compared to the 105 highs at the height of summer. Anyway, the cooling trend and shortening daylight hours are sending me into the kitchen to cook things like soup, pot roast, caramel apple dip, butter pecan muffins with pumpkin cream cheese frosting, you get the idea.

Today, I want to share with you a delicious Lentil Soup with Sausage recipe that I found in the Autumn 2011 edition of The Baking Sheet, a cooking magazine published by King Arthur Flour. A friend gifted me with a subscription and I have really been enjoying the delicious recipes and beautiful photographs.

Along with a renewed desire for fall foods, I have made a renewed effort to make our dinners at home higher in fiber, and lower in fat and calories. This soup fits the bill perfectly. Unlike other types of beans, lentils do not have to soak overnight or cook for hours and hours. They are relatively quick-cooking and they have a ton of health benefits. They are full of fiber, which helps lower cholesterol and balance blood sugar. Lentils are also an excellent source of B-vitamins, protein, folate and magnesium. The insoluble fiber helps keep the digestive tract clean and helps prevent digestive disorders like irritable bowel syndrome. The fiber, along with folate and magnesium also play a role in promoting heart-health. Click here for even more detailed information about the health benefits of lentils.

Now, aren't you just dying to eat some lentils? Here's your chance! This soup is also full of other aromatic and healthy vegetables along with some kielbasa which brings the whole thing together with delicious flavor. In keeping with my lower-fat efforts, we used turkey kielbasa, but feel free to use whatever your favorite variety happens to be. This also makes a ton of soup - perfect for a crowd, or put half of it away in the freezer for another day when you are too busy to cook. If you happen to have a food processor, this is also a perfect recipe to break it out for chopping. Here is a great video that teaches how to clean and chop leeks if you are not used to using them - they add great flavor to many dishes. I served this with crusty whole-grain bread smeared with honey butter (see recipe below). Delicious!

And the recipe...

Lentil Soup with Sausage
From The Baking Sheet, Autumn 2011
Makes 15, 12-ounce servings
    
1 pound dried lentils

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 large onions, chopped

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped (white and light green parts only)

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1 to 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon ground cumin

8 medium stalks celery, chopped

5 medium carrots, chopped

3 quarts chicken stock or broth

¼ cup tomato paste

2 pounds kielbasa, sliced lengthwise and then sliced 1/3 inch thick

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or fresh lime juice

1. In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain well.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Cook the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin for 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the celery and carrots and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Add the chicken broth, tomato paste and drained lentils. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered for 1 hour until the lentils are tender.

4. Add the kielbasa and vinegar and simmer until the kielbasa is hot.

Honey Butter

Soften ¼ cup of butter by cooking for 10 seconds in the microwave, or by sitting out at room temperature until soft. Using a fork, blend in 2 to 3 teaspoons of honey. Honey butter tastes delicious with whole-grain breads.

Enjoy!

Beth is a stay-at-home mom of three wonderfully active children ages seven, four and one. She is married to Jason V (who also writes for us here at MAD21) and spends her days teaching, changing diapers, sweeping up Cheerios, stepping over Legos, keeping peace among the kids, and enjoying the creative outlet of cooking.