Okay: Italian lentil soup
1)cook a 1 lb. bag of lentils until ready to eat. I use chicken stock in place of water.
2)brown a 1 lb. of sweet or hot Italian sausage with about 5 cloves of smashed garlic in about a 1/4 cup olive oil. (Tonight I am also adding small cubes of carrots in the sautee. Add pepper & some salt....your broth will have salt.)
3)add your cooked lentils. I take a potato masher so about 1/2 the lentils are smashed. Adds a nice thickness.
4)add 1 large can tomatoes. I like crushed, but use your preference....whole, diced, pureed, etc.
5)add broth to thickness you desire. I add 2 bay leaves (when I was young whoever got the bay leaf got to make a wish!)
6)taste for seasoning. Let simmer for about an hour.
7)a half hour before you eat cut up a couple handfuls spinach & I like to add a pour of dry sherry.
8)this dish is very forgiving & makes a lot.
You all have given me so many wonderful ideas & recipes that it’s a pleasure to be able to share one.
Lentil soup update:
1) I don’t drain the drippings from the sausage.....adds excellent flavor.
2)I did my carrot cubes in olive oil in the oven. Adds richer flavor.
That sounds very good! I will try it - I like lentils more than I like beans ;-)