Sausage and Lentil Soup
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Ingredients
  • 1 package (16 ounces) dried lentils
  • 3 quarts water
  • 2 Tablespoons instant beef bouillon
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, divided
  • 1 pound mild Italian sausage, bulk or links
  • 1 can (28 ounces) petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1-1/2 cups chopped onions
  • ¾ cup finely chopped celery
  • ¾ cup finely chopped carrot
  • 3 Tablespoons chopped flat parsley or cilantro
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
  1. Heat lentils, water, bouillon, and 1 teaspoon of the fennel seed in a 6-quart Dutch oven to boiling. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 1 hour.
  2. Heat lentil mixture to boiling; reduce heat and cover. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 40-45 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare sausage mixture: Remove casings from sausage (if using links). Cook and stir sausage and remaining ½ teaspoon fennel seed in a large skillet until sausage is browned. Stir in all remaining ingredients and mix well.
  4. Heat sausage mixture to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40-45 minutes.
  5. Pour slightly cooled lentil mixture, 4 cups at a time (and using all the liquid), into a blender container. Cover and blend until smooth. Return pureed mixture to Dutch oven. Repeat until all lentils are pureed.
  6. Remove bay leaf from sausage-tomato mixture, then stir into pureed lentils. Heat until hot. Garnish with snipped parsley and/or float a thin lemon slice, if desired.
Recipe by The Culinary Cellar at https://theculinarycellar.com/sphere-magazine-january-1975/