While I enjoy a good slab of meat as much as the next carnivore, sometimes a good hit of vegetarian protein is more than satisfying. Okay, so I added in a little Italian sausage - I just can't help myself. According to Wikipedia, lentils have the third-highest amount of protein of any plant-based food. They are beaten out of the top spot only by soybeans and hemp. Surprisingly, there are quite a few hemp soup recipes on the web. Since I wasn't look for that kind of hit, I decided to stick with lentils. Now that Autumn is officially here, I find that a hearty bowl of soup, accompanied by a side salad, makes a satisfying meal. After polishing off a pot of Sage & Gorgonzola Cauliflower Soup last week, my family was ready to dip into another flavorful soup. The richness provided by the partially-puréed lentils and a dose of smoked paprika fit the bill perfectly.
Place 16 ounces of lentils in a strainer and rinse well with water.
Pour the lentils into a large saucepan and cover with 2 inches of cold water. Add 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 large stalk of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 tomato, quartered and seeded; and 2 teaspoons salt.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the lentils are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Strain the mixture, reserving the cooking water.
Put half of the lentils and all of the vegetables into a blender. Purée the mixture, adding enough of the cooking liquid (about ¾ cup), to make it smooth.
Put the other half of the lentils into the large saucepan and pour in the lentil purée.
Add 3 ½ cups of chicken broth and 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika, and stir well.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove 4 mild Italian sausages from their casings and add them to the pan, along with 2 minced garlic cloves and 1 finely chopped small onion.
Break up the sausage with a wooden spoon and cook until the onions are starting to brown and the sausage is almost cooked through, about 8 minutes.
Add the sausage mixture to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups fresh spinach until the sausage is wilted.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or plain yogurt.
Add the sausage mixture to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in 2 cups fresh spinach until the sausage is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche or plain yogurt.
Nikki
This was so good. Made it two weeks ago, and I think I will make it this Sunday so I will have dinner prepared as I go into finals week. Thank you!
Dara
I'm so glad to hear that, Nikki! Good luck with your finals. 🙂