Honey, Soup’s on!

You can do almost anything with a soup stock, it’s like a strong foundation. When you have the right foundation, everything tastes good.

Martin Yan

I came to lentils later in my life. They were not a big thing in the South where I grew up (at least not in the 60’s!). When I first tasted lentil soup, it was very, VERY boring. I really didn’t care for it. However, I kept hearing about what a great source of protein lentils were, blah, blah, blah. I decided that lentils didn’t have a lot of taste by themselves, but maybe they were just a “placeholder” for whatever flavors were put into the mix. I was on to something!

It took me a while, but I put together a lentil soup that I really like. It is so tasty and very filling, without being fattening. Here is the rundown:

Corliss’ Lentil Soup

1 T. canola oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

2 T. Better than Bouillon (chicken or vegetable)

6 cups water

4 links Spicy Italian Chicken sausage (split lengthwise, and sliced)

6 cups Organic Green Kale (chopped)

2 cups Puy Lentils (green)

1 heaping T. Caraway seed

1 bay leaf

1 2-4 inch Parmesan rind (adds great richness and flavor – I find these in the cheese section in the store, and freeze them!)

Sherry or balsamic glaze and sour cream to finish…

Heat oil in soup pot. Add chopped onion, celery and carrots. Saute. Add Better than Bouillon to water, stir and add to soup pot. Add Caraway seeds, lentils, sausage, kale and bay leaf. You may need to add more water (I usually do) as soup cooks down and thickens. As soup simmers, add Parmesan rind. Sometimes it “melts”, sometimes you will have a small piece left that you can remove when you remove the bay leaf.

Bring to boil and then simmer for 1-2 hours. Before serving, remove bay leaf and parmesan rind. Add a dollop of sour cream and either sherry or balsamic glaze to give this some real zing! This recipe makes enough soup for 6-8 servings. Great with cornbread!

As we move into a new season, I think you’ll find yourself using this soup often. It is a staple in our house!

Thursday on the blog… Honey, let’s take a trip! Until then, my friends!