These chilly days make me want to curl up with a blanket and enjoy some soul warming comfort food. And nothing says comfort food more than soup!
This is such a simple recipe with fresh veggies and earthy lentils. Add in some smoky sausage if you feel the need for some hearty meat
Let’s start with the holy trinity of veggies. We’ll need one cup each of carrots, celery and onions chopped into a small dice
Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot, add in the diced veggies and let cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened a bit
You won’t need to cook too long because the veggies will simmer more in the broth
I’m famous for answering the phone or checking Facebook and overcooking my onions
Don’t. do. this.
Rinse 1 cup of dried lentils and pick out any odd looking beans
Why do I have to pick through the lentils??
Lentils, just like beans and rice, are a natural product that do not go through any processing before being packaged. Rinsing lentils will get rid of any accumulated dust & dirt and picking through them will help you to see any foreign matter or shriveled lentils
Measure out 8 cups of good quality chicken stock (make your own Homemade Chicken Stock) or use vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version (make your own Homemade Veggie Broth)
You’ll also need a pinch each of kosher salt, black pepper & crushed red pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves and fresh thyme
Add all of these ingredients to the veggies in the pot and stir
Bring the soup to a simmer
Stir in the lentils and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. You don’t want to cook them over too high of a heat because if they simmer too hard, they tend to fall apart
Now you can stop at this step if you’re making a vegetarian version of the soup. I’m going to add in 16 ounces of sliced turkey kielbasa. You can use pork or beef kielbasa but I like to use the turkey version in this soup because it is lower in fat
My Mom always made this recipe when I was a kid and she would add in knockwurst or hot dogs. Not gonna lie, I loved it with hot dogs! But my grown up palate likes a smokey sausage
The kielbasa is already a cooked meat product so it just has to warm through before serving
Ok, now you can answer the phone or check Facebook. But you’re going to want to taste a bowl of this warming and delicious soup first!
Check out some of our other soup favorites:
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Enjoy!
Simply Sundays! ~ Lentil Soup
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large carrots, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
1 medium onion, chopped (approx. 1 cup)
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper
8 cups of chicken stock or veggie broth
1 cup rinsed, dried lentils
16 ounces of sliced turkey kielbasa
Directions
Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or stockpot, add in the diced veggies and let cook until the vegetables are softened a bit, about 5 minutes
Rinse the dried lentils and pick out any odd looking beans
Measure out 8 cups of good quality chicken stock (make your own Homemade Chicken Stock) or use vegetable broth to make a vegetarian version (make your own Homemade Veggie Broth)
You’ll also need a pinch each of kosher salt, black pepper & crushed red pepper, 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves and fresh thyme
Add all of these ingredients to the veggies in the pot and stir; bring the soup to a simmer
Stir in the lentils and simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender
If using sliced turkey kielbasa, add into the soup and simmer until heated through
Tools used to make this recipe
Anchor Hocking 8 Cup Measuring Cup Glass Batter Bowl with Spout
Pyrex 3-Piece Glass Measuring Cup Set
Martha Stewart Collection Enameled Cast Iron 6 Qt. Round Dutch Oven
© Simply Sundays 2017
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Updated & re-published 2020
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