Cooking with Love

Lentil soup with spicy sausage

The aroma of this soup brings me back to my childhood. Coming home from school and walking into my kitchen made my exhausting day at school seem unimportant. Mom was stirring the soup with such love, I felt safe and nurtured.

I carried this tradition to my children. I hope they felt the love through my cooking.

Come on and make some memories.

Ingredients

2 links hot/sweet sausage, casing removed

2 TBS olive oil

16 oz bag of brown lentils, rinsed and checked for grit

1/2 cup chopped onion

15 oz diced tomatoes, undrained

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 carrot, finely chopped

2-3 TBS fresh parsley

1 potato, cut into cubes

6-8 cups cold water

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In large saucepan, brown the sausage in the heated oil. Add the onion and cook the sausage till there is no more pink to be seen.

Add the lentils, vegetables, tomatoes, water, salt and pepper, tomatoes, parsley. Stir very well and continue to cook on simmer, careful not to burn. 

Allow to cook for approximately one hour, checking the tenderness of the lentils.

Taste before shutting off the stove.

Enjoy with a green salad and a glass of burgundy wine.

*Note

You can add cooked rice, or small pasta, e.g., orzo, ditalini, small baby shells. Cook separately, set aside. Serve with pasta in bowl, then add lentil soup on top. Sprinkle grated cheese on top....yummy!

**And another note

I add 1 tsp baking soda to my cooking beans, hoping that it helps with digestion.