Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage

So, you know those nights when you get home and realize you haven’t taken anything out of the freezer for supper?  This soup was born on one of those nights.  I took some frozen-solid Italian sausages out of the freezer, and a half liter of frozen cooking water that I'd put by the last time I’d prepared sausages.  The rest of the ingredients I had on hand in the pantry and fridge. 

The soup turned out well.  It was thick (almost stew-like) and very satisfying.  There was quite a bit of soup left over so some went into the freezer for another day.  When I reheat the soup from the freezer, I think I’ll make some dumplings to go with it.  With the dumplings, we’ll have a complete meal all in one pot.

To make Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage, you’ll need:

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced, or 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrot
• 1 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1-1/4 cups green lentils
• 1 pound of Italian sausage (I used sweet – mild – sausage but spicy sausage would be good too.)
• 1 cup Italian style stewed tomatoes, chopped, with their juice
• 5 or 6 cups of beef stock
• 1-1/2 cups water or, if you have it, the cooking water in which you simmered your last batch of sausages
• 2 cups beef stock (not pictured)
• Salt and pepper to taste

You will also need a large heavy bottomed pan or Dutch oven, with a tight fitting lid.

Sauté the onions in the olive oil until they’re translucent.  Add in the minced garlic, if you are using it, and sauté a few seconds more. 

Add the carrot, celery, chopped parsley and lentils to the pot.

Use the tip of a sharp knife to pierce several holes in the sausage casings and then place the sausages on top of the vegetables and lentils.

Pour the tomatoes, 3 cups of beef stock, and water over the sausages. 

Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to just above a simmer and cook the soup, covered, for about 40 minutes.  At the end of 40 minutes, the lentils should be cooked and the soup should be very thick.

Remove the sausages from the pot and slice them.  Return them to the pot, along with 2 cups (or more) of beef stock to thin the soup. 

Return the soup to a boil.  Once it has boiled again adjust the seasoning, and the soup is ready to serve.
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This post is linked to the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop hosted by The 21st Century Housewife, Premeditated Leftovers, Elsa Cooks, Zesty South Indian Kitchen, Penniless Parenting, and Savoring Today and to Frugal Food Thursday hosted by Frugal Follies.