Growing up, January 1st served up the same annual meal designed to bring us luck for the next 365 days. One of my absolute favorite parts of the meal was my Nonna Mary’s Lentil Soup with Sausage. I fell in love with it, not only because it’s delicious, but also because while my cousins and I would eat elbow to elbow at the kid’s table, my Grandpop Louie would stand next to us, talking loudly while shaking quarters and dimes out of his grandpop sweater onto the floor below. By the time we finished our soup, the ground would be awash in shiny coins, a magical sign from the lentil soup fairy of the riches and joys that the following year was sure to bring.
You can make some easy adjustments to this recipe. Feeding a vegetarian? You can lose the sausage and the soup is still amazing! Laying low on carbs? You can clip to potatoes as well (though I wouldn't eliminate both. It's a one or the other situation!).
Ingredients
1 lb sweet sausage, removed from casing
2 celery stalks finely, chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 white potatoes, diced
½ onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 6-oz can tomato paste OR 10 oz tomato passata
1 cup lentils
3 cups chicken stock with 1 teaspoon passata or tomato paste (Have more stock on standby if your soup becomes too thick)
Olive oil
Preparation
Heat oil in a large soup pot, add sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon until brown. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
Saute the celery, carrots, onions and garlic for 3 – 5 minutes, until soft and garlic is golden brown.
Add potatoes, toss, and return the sausage to the pot, cook for 5 minutes.
Mix your tomato paste with 1/2 cup of warm water and add to the pot. If using pasta, don't add water.
Add 1 cup of lentils, S & P and stir.
Add 3 cups of chicken stock, bring soup to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 – 30 minutes. Be sure to add more chicken stock if your soup becomes too thick.
Serve this hearty soup with a crusty chunk of Italian bread!