Usually my idea of making soup is opening up a can of my favorite one, heating it up on the stove and then enjoying it, but since I have been cooking more I decided to give making soup from scratch a go. It’s always nice knowing exactly what you are eating as opposed to guessing what the vegetable is after it’s been masked by some thick, albeit yummy, chowder or liquid. I decided to start simple and go with a Lentil and Sausage Soup that I found on Allrecipes.
To start, I browned three links of sweet sausage over medium-high heat. I actually began by cooking the links slightly and then slicing them to finish browning them. It’s much easier to slice half cooked sausage as opposed to raw sausage.
Next I added in one large onion, a celery stalk and a tablespoon of garlic, all chopped.
After letting that sauté until the vegetables were tender I added in my lentils, 3 shredded carrots, water, chicken broth and diced tomatoes. I actually used diced tomatoes that were seasoned with basil, garlic and oregano which definitely added in some extra flavor.
And finally I added in all of my spices: garlic powder, parsley, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, basil, salt & black pepper.
After bringing the soup to a boil I then reduced the heat and let it simmer until the lentils were tender. While the directions said that it would take about 2.5 to 3 hours my soup was done in about an hour.
It was absolutely delicious and tasted even better the following day for lunch. I doubt I will be giving up those canned soups anytime soon, but, it’s definitely nice to know that making soup from scratch isn’t all that difficult.
Lentil and Sausage Soup
Ingredients
1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped garlic
1 16 oz. package dry lentils, rinsed
1 cup shredded carrot
8 cups water
2 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes*
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley**
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. salt, or to taste
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 lb. ditalini pasta (optional – I chose not to add it in)
*I used 2 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil & oregano
**I used 1 tsp. dried parsley
Directions
1. Place sausage in a large pot. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Add onion, celery and chopped garlic, and sauté until tender and translucent. Stir in lentils, carrot, water, chicken broth and tomatoes. Season with garlic powder, parsley, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover, and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until lentils are tender.
2. Stir in pasta, and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
Bead Yarn & Spatula 