Lentil Sausage Soup

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Tale of Two Soups

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (165)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(165)

Cook Time:
1 hr 30 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 quarts; 8 to 10 servings

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Total:: 2 hr 0 min

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Ingredients

1 pound French green lentils (recommended: du Puy)
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large)
4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)
3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or canned broth
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick
2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan.

Homemade Chicken Stock:

3 (5-pound) chickens
3 large onions, unpeeled and quartered
6 carrots, unpeeled and halved
4 celery stalks with leaves, cut in thirds
4 parsnips, unpeeled and cut in 1/2, optional
20 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
15 sprigs fresh thyme
20 sprigs fresh dill
1 head garlic, unpeeled and cut in 1/2 crosswise
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Place the chickens, onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, parsley, thyme, dill, garlic, salt, and peppercorns in a 16 to 20-quart stockpot with 7 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface as needed. Simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Strain the entire contents of the pot through a colander, discarding the chicken and vegetables, and chill. Discard the hardened fat, and then pack the broth in quart containers.

Yield: 6 quarts

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Lentil Sausage Soup
Virginia Austin, TX 02-08-2010
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Easy and Delicious!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for dinner tonight and it was great! I used homemade chicken broth and only added a small amount of salt while... sauteing the vegetables. It was the perfect amount of saltiness for me. And the parmesan added to the warm soup was great. I was thinking that it might have been too salty for some if they did not use low-sodium chicken broth or homemade broth?Read more
recipe Lentil Sausage Soup
Laurie Collegeville, PA 02-03-2010
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Great flavor, but too salty
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I followed the recipe exactly except that I used boxed chicken broth. I guess that coupled with the whole tablespoon of salt... was just too much. Then with the parm cheese on top... way too much! I'll modify it next time.Read more
recipe Lentil Sausage Soup
null null, null 01-31-2010
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Great Soup!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I have made this soup a couple of times. It lends itself well to additions. This time I used turkey wine and herb sausage. ... I also add about a pound of baby spinach during the last 30 minutes to get some more vitamins in there. In addition I add a couple of bay leaves, as I like the aromatics of them. I also used white wine vinegar which gave it a great mellow flavor. But it's a terrific soup and you can't go wrong with it.Read more
recipe Lentil Sausage Soup
DORRY amherst, MA 01-30-2010
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Fantastic
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this for guests on a cold, winter night and everyone loved it. The only change I made was to saute the vegetables ... and then add the kielbasa to the vegetables to brown slightly before adding the lentils and chicken stock. I think this added more flavor. Definitely use homemade stock rather than boxed or canned. A recipe this good deserves it. This is a winner like most of Ina's recipes. She never disappoints. My guests loved it so much they asked for the recipe.Read more
recipe Lentil Sausage Soup
STEPHANIE Memphis, TN 01-24-2010
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I love soup
Rated: 4 stars out of 5

I used this recipe for lentils in place of another one I have that is braised in the oven. I made it with turkey smoked... sausage to lighten the dish up a little bit. I would brown the sausage and remove them from the pot and then cook the onions, just to give the sausage a little more flavor.Read more
recipe Lentil Sausage Soup
Robert El Segundo, CA 01-20-2010
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Excellent and Easy
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This soup / stew is excellent - even with store bought chicken broth. I do question the use (waste?) of several whole... chickens for the stock as proposed when the store bought solution is so good. I use sweet chicken sausage and and a little extra red wine vinegar for a truly unique and satisfying meal - all organic, of course. Read more