Sausage and Lentil Soup with Kale Sprouts

Wrap yourself up in your comfies and dive into this bowl of spicy, hearty goodness!  Sausage and Lentil Soup with Kale Sprouts.  Good for what ails ya!

What’s in a name?  Well, I’ve changed mine.  A Cookbook Obsession has become From A Chef’s Kitchen!  I decided to change my name because I felt I could bring you more variety.  Too many people thought all I did was redo cookbook recipes under my old banner.

While I will always have a passion for all things “cookbooks,” I’ve always got a new recipe going on in my head that needs to be brought to life and shared.  I’m also looking forward to sharing recipes from other chefs and inspiring home cooks.  Thanks for reading and joining me on this culinary journey!

Now for this sausage and lentil soup!  Spicy Italian sausage.  Earthy lentils.  Vegetables in a spicy, tomatoey broth with kale sprouts.  Oh my!

You already know kale sprouts are one of my new favorite things in the world.  Basically, Brussels sprouts and kale got married and had kale sprout babies!  Yes, these lovely little babies!  If your local produce department is not carrying them, put in a request.  Most grocery stores love to learn about new items and products they’re not yet carrying that may be of interest to everyone they serve.

One thing you always want to do when working with lentils is to look them over well for stones, twigs and odd-looking shriveled ones.  Place about a quarter-cup on a plain white paper plate, look them over, then gently fold the plate to guide them into your pot.

I also like to cook the lentils separately.  All the starch they give off can make your soup a bit murky….and who wants that?

Here’s another soup-making tip:  Let the soup stand for about 15 to 20 minutes before serving.  It’s going to be unbearably hot anyway, so let those flavors meld and get to know each other a little bit.  It’s also going to thicken up a bit.

Stay well and enjoy!

Sausage and Lentil Soup with Kale Sprouts

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Prep Time 20 min

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Wrap yourself up in your comfiest and dive into this bowl of spicy, hearty goodness!  Sausage and Lentil Soup with Kale Sprouts.  Good for what ails ya!

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package kale sprouts or 1 (10-ounce) package baby kale or shredded kale
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 6 cups beef broth (or as needed)
• 1 can (28-ounce) petite diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  Add the lentils and simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked but not falling apart.  Drain and set aside.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or large pot.  Add the kale sprouts and saute until wilted.  Transfer to a plate.

Add the sausage and brown well until almost cooked through (will continue to cook in the soup.)  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.  Drain off half of the fat.

Add the onion and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until beginning to soften.  Add the carrot and celery and continue to cook another 5 minutes or until beginning to soften.  Add the garlic, stir briefly, then add the beef broth, tomatoes, herbs and sausage.

Simmer uncovered 15 minutes.  Add the lentils and kale sprouts and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender.  Season to taste with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper.

Turn off the heat and let stand 15 minutes.

by Carol | From A Chef's Kitchen

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