31
This past week Dan and I made lentil soup. I found this recipe online and I must say its a really good one. For a soup recipe, it is very quick and easy and the vegetable chopping phase is minimal. The sausage is optional but adds a nice taste especially with a semi-dry one.
I am trying to cook more with lentils, given they are a good source of nitrogen and are excellent in non-meat meals. Most of my cookbooks, however, do not have ANY lentil recipes, and I guess that goes to show how very foreigh lentils must have seemed when they were written (they do have other recipes that are really good, especially one for a kick-ass vegetable soufflé). Its hard to find good lentil recipes online other than those weirdo lets-break-all-the-rules-of-cooking-vegetarian ones (whose sushi recipes use brown rice) that involve putting cold cooked lentils into a salad with red onions, chickpeas and cucumbers. Does not appeal to me!
Speaking of lentils, every time I cook with them I am remided of an intersting incident last year. At the metro station near my work a truck carrying red lentils must have either had a leak or have been in an accident, as when I stepped off the bus one day the road was covered in bright red lentils. I couldn’t tell what it was at first and thought it might be a spice such as cayenne pepper or maybe a red powdered dye. Over the next few weeks, the lentils continued to stay on the street (I guess nobody thought it was worth it to clean up the spill) and they eventially turned a brown colour and then eroded into nothing. It was quite a sight.
Anyway, there is the recipe:
French Lentil Soup with Sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups lentils (preferably French green), rinsed
6 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces smoked sausage, like kielbasa
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or to taste
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to moderate and cook, covered, until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
While lentils are cooking, heat remaining tablespoon oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown sausage on all sides, about 5 minutes. Cool sausage slightly on a cutting board, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Add sausage to soup and stir in vinegar.