Ina & David's Lentil Sausage Soup

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As I looked back on this blog recently, it’s reallllly clear I am a big fan of soups in the winter. Tara and I live in NYC where the winters can be no joke and why not make a meal that’s comforting, hearty, and leaves fantastic leftovers. We had SUPER KICK ASS carrots left from the farmers market and didn’t want them to go waste along with celery we had. Lentil soup is one of my favs and one I can remember my Mom used to make growing up. What are lentils you say? Lentils are legumes that originate from mostly India, Turkey, and Canada. They’re easy to make, healthy, high in fiber, and have been known to reduce heart disease. Let’s hear it for lentils and the legumes win! Now, toss in a tasty protein like sausage and you have a hell of a soup. This recipe was inspired by Ina Garten’s Lentil & Sausage Soup. The post title was also inspired by David Chang and his show about food that’s “ugly and delicious” which I love for so many reasons. Let’s get real.. there’s nothing that appealing about the look of this soup. It’s kind of ugly, very brown, but shit, it was delicious. Ina and David’s SOUP IS EFFIN’ ON.

Ina & David's Lentil Sausage Soup

  • 1 pound bag of lentils, rinsed

  • 3 onions, diced

  • 5-6 carrots, diced

  • 5-6 celery stalks, diced

  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 tablespoons minced rosemary

  • 1-2 bay leaves

  • A couple hearty dashes of cumin

  • Salt & pepper to taste

  • 8 - 10 cups chicken stock

  • 1/4 cup tomato paste

  • 1 package chicken sausage

  • 2 tablespoon-ish red wine

  • PARM FOR GARNISHING & SNACKING

The first thing I wanted to do was get the sausages in the pot so they could brown & let all of that amazing fat come out in the stock pot. Granted these chicken sausages were lean, but they still have a little fat and it ended up being a delicious base for the soup.

sausages.jpg

Next up, I diced the onions…. wait for it.

GRATUITOUS ONION SHOT

GRATUITOUS ONION SHOT

Minced that rosemary and garlic…. wait for it.

garlic rosemary.jpg

Once the onions and aromatics were good to go, I threw them in the stock pot and relished in that sizzle when they hit the olive oil. I added the salt, pepper, and cumin as well. They needed to cook down until translucent for about 10 - 15 minutes on medium. While the onions and goodness were sauteing, I diced the carrots and celery for the soup.

THOSE CARROTS THOUGH

THOSE CARROTS THOUGH

The carrots and celery were added to the stock pot, along with the other veggies, and sauteed for another 10 mins or so.

Once the veggies were sauteed, the stock, lentils, tomato paste, red wine, and bay leaves were added. I brought the soup to a boil and then reduced down to a simmer for about a hour. The SOUP WAS EFFIN’ ON.

soup's on.jpg

I scooped a big bowl and showered the ugly, but delicious soup with glorious shaved parmesan. The lentils were tender, veggies still had a nice texture, and the sausage added a nice hearti-ness to the bite. The broth was tasty with the red wine adding a nice flavor there at the end. Ina and David, you both rock! SOUP’S EFFIN ON.