Lentil, Sausage & Kale Soup

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Let me start by telling you that I am not a soup fan.  I know most people get warm happy feelings when they think about curling up with a hot bowl of soup on a cold, rainy day.  I am just not one of those people.  I think it's because I associate eating soup with being sick; my very Italian mother always insisted I eat chicken soup the minute any sign of an aliment appeared. Probably the only exception to my soup aversion was the Sopa de Lentejas my Spanish host mom used to make me when I lived in Sevilla.  So, when I was presented with this recipe for Kale-Lentil Soup, I caved.  Let me tell you, I am so glad I did.  I might be a soup convert.


We slightly modified this recipe to make it our own. You will need:

3/4 pound Andouille Sausage
1/2 pound Italian Sausage
2 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 cups chopped Carrots
2 medium Onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz can Tomato Paste with Basil, Garlic, and Oregano
12 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth (3 boxes of broth)
1 16 oz bag of Lentils
2 cans Garbanzo Beans
1-2 cups chopped Kale, as preferred

First, chop all of your veggies and set them aside.  Slice the sausage into 1/2 thick pieces.  

Put one tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch Oven and cook the sausage over medium heat for about 7 minutes, until it is cooked through.  Transfer it to a bowl and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the Dutch Oven.  Cook the carrots, onions, and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Once the veggies have begun to soften, add the can of tomato paste to the pot.  Cook the mixture for an additional 2-3 minutes until vegetables are fully cooked.

Next, in the same pot add all of the broth, garbanzo beans and lentils.  Bring the soup to a boil, cover and reduce to low-medium heat.  Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Return the cooked sausage to the soup along with the kale. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes on low heat.

This soup was so indescribably delicious. The combination of sausages added delicate heat and spice.  I'm not normally a huge fan of kale, but it actually absorbed the flavor of the broth and was a great aspect of the soup.  I also felt that the liquid to solid ratio of the soup was perfect--i.e. not too 'soupy', but enough to soak up some broth using garlic bread.  I highly recommend this soup.  It is affordable, simple and serves 6-8 meals depending on portion size.  You could also half the recipe if cooking for one.

What is your favorite soup?  Maybe I will be adventurous and try some other recipes....