Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup

By exdircomp

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pound hot sausage, bulk or casing removed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped, leafy tops reserved
• 3 large carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 portobello mushrooms, gills scraped out, chopped
• 2 large Idaho (russet) potato, peeled and chopped into small dice
• 1 Fresno or jalepeno chile pepper, thinly sliced or finely chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, or marjoram, or greek oregano leaves picked and finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 large cloves garlic, chopped or sliced
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bundle kale, stemmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted chopped tomatoes, such as Muir Glenn or, regular diced tomatoes
• 1 cup white wine
• Freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups lentils
• 8 cups chicken stock

Preparation

Step 1

In a soup pot or large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the sausage, breaking it into pieces, and cook until lightly brown. Add the onions, celery, carrots, potato, chile pepper, rosemary, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper, and cook to soften, 8 to10 minutes.



Wilt in the kale, and season the kale leaves with a little freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in the tomato paste for 30 seconds, then add white wine. Cook to reduce by 1/2 and stir in the lentils, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Serve immediately or cool, store, and reheat. Serve with chopped celery greens, to garnish