I think you know how the song ends.
My love for lentils is no secret. They are high in fiber, protein, and a bunch of other stuff that’s good for you. While they are a little bit bland eaten plain, you can dress them up in so many delightful ways. Kind of like chicken breast and my husband, El Gallo, they clean up nicely!
This is a simple soup that’s as good for you as it is to eat, and it comes together in snap. However, the lentils will take no less than 20 minutes, so be sure to set those boiling before you even start chopping. A little hint on cooking lentils: do not salt the water. Salt tends to draw liquid out of things, so you want to salt your lentils after they are tender for quicker cooking. Also, salt gratuitously. As a starch, they can take a lot of salt.
You end up with a soup that’s similar to Italian wedding soup, except the sausage is loose instead of meatballed and you’re using lentils instead of white beans.
Do your body a favor this week; feed it something good and good for you!
- 1/2 pound breakfast or Italian sausage
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 4 cup beef broth
- 3 cups kale roughly chopped (about half a bag)
- 1/2 cup black beluga or green le puy lentils dry
- grated or thinly sliced parmesan for garnish
-
First, cover your lentils with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 20-30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
-
Meanwhile, In a large stew pot, brown the sausage and remove to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve for later use. Drain all but about 1-2 Tablespoons of the sausage fat.
-
Over medium-high heat, sautée the onions in the fat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots and thyme and continue to cook until the thyme is fragrant - about 2-3 minutes. Add the beef broth, kale and boiled lentils. Bring to a boil and let simmer until the carrots and kale are tender. Garnish with parmesan.
Non-game substitution: Any breakfast or Italian sausage, made with any meat you like.
Vegetarian Substitution: Simply omit the meat and you’re good to go! With mixed company, you can crisp up the sausage and sprinkle it on top for the meat eaters.
Leave a Reply
2 Comments on "Lentils, lentils, the magical fruit…"
Cover the lentils with water and soak overnight. Cooking time will be less.
Thanks for the tip! :)