Though the Weather Outside is Frightful...

All photos by Ray Hydrick

Like Josh mentioned in his last post, I am not dead.  Many people believed that I had been held captive by a renegade band of turkeys – kind of like the A-Team but with turkeys – that held me captive in an effort to protest the use their kind for Thanksgiving.  Though that scenario sounds very exciting, it is not true.  The truth is I have been traveling for work and haven’t been near a kitchen to cook anything…and I truly missed it. 

But recent travels have taught me something, it’s freakin’ cold up north!  So to combat that crappy, cold feeling, I made a little soup that will warm you up to the core.  You have to know I tried something a little different with this one.  I was watching the show Giada at Home and she mentioned adding her parmesan cheese rinds to a soup to give it a rich flavor (I keep my rinds in the freezer now for this exact reason)…and boy, it did. 

The line up

Sausage Lentil Soup
3 medium carrots, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casing removed
2 cartons of chicken stock
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 bay leaves

In a large stockpot, add sausage to pot and saute over medium-high heat until brown.  Remove sausage and set aside. 

Not a very exciting "removing meat from the pot" picture

Add carrots, celery, onion and saute until tender – approx. 4-5 minutes.  Add garlic and saute one minute longer.  Add salt, pepper, pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, fennel seeds and bay leaves to the veggie mixture and saute for 1 minute to bring out the flavor.  Add sausage, tomatoes, lentils, and chicken stock.  Mix to combine.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Finally, add your parmesan rinds. 

Adding the frozen rinds

Simmer soup for 45-60 minutes or until lintels are tender.  Remove 1/3 of the soup and use either a blender, food processor or hand blender to puree.  Add the puree back to the soup thicken it.

I love this blender

Serve with toasted bread and topped with parmesan.  If you want a punch of flavor, add a tablespoon red wine vinegar.

Fight back against the crappy cold with this awesome soup.  And by the way, if you see a turkey with a mowhawk please get out of his way…he has a bad attitude. 

Yes, gross...I know.

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