Today's post is about the third easy, tasty, and freezer-ready meals I made at the beginning of August. It may not look like much, but man is it tasty and it packs a great nutritional punch! In January when I was trying to cook healthy meals in order to both lose the weight I gained and the "bleh" feeling I had after a fall of eating out, I stumbled upon an article in Women's Running regarding super foods you should eat every day. One of the foods was lentils, which I had never had before. Lentils are full of iron and protein, which as a female endurance athlete I really need. I particularly feel a drop in energy/mood when I am low on iron.
Since I was unfamiliar with lentils but willing to give them a try, I did some googling and found this Alton Brown's lentil soup recipe. When I saw an average 5 star rating over 250+ reviews, I knew I had a winner. I have adapted the recipe based on personal preference and reading the reviews - I don't know about you, but I have NO idea where to find the "grains of paradise" the recipe calls for. Luckily one reviewer noted that ginger/black pepper serve as a good substitute. And of course, I had to add Italian sausage! I usually get about 8 servings out of a batch which means it is perfect for stocking the freezer
Lentil soup has become one of my go-tos this year since it is so simple and satisfying. The recipe is really easy to adapt and a great way to experiment in the kitchen for novice cooks. Lentil soups start with the same base (onion, celery, carrot, lentils, and broth/stock), and then can be varied in so many different ways based on added spices and ingredients. I try to always keep the base items in my pantry for nights when I don't feel like eating out or spending much time in the kitchen. Another favorite of mine simply involves adding curry powder and cumin to the base.
Let's get cooking!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
4 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 onion, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1-2 carrots, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1-2 stalks celery, chopped into large chunks
1 tbsp ginger, diced
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 pound dry lentils (red is quickest cooking, but other colors work as well, I used green below)
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes (or 1 fresh tomato, chopped)
1 teaspoon cumin
Heat a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat.
If using whole carrots, peel the carrots by cutting the carrot into medium length pieces (creating a flat bottom) and running your knife down the edges. If using fresh ginger, cut off a chunk, peel it, and then cut it into strips. .
Put the onion, celery, carrots, and ginger into a food processor and pulse into finely diced. (You can also do this step by hand and skip the food processor.)
Add oil, veggies, and salt to the pot and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are softened.
Add the Italian sausage, breaking up with a spoon or spatula, and cook another 4-5 minutes until browned.
Wash the lentils & pick through to ensure all unsavory items (i.e. rocks or broken lentils) are removed. (This step should be done with all dry beans.)
Add lentils, stock, tomatoes, black pepper, and cumin. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer (medium low heat) & cover the pot.
Cook for about 45 minutes or until lentils are cooked through. Taste and add more salt/seasoning as necessary. At this point, you could serve. However, if you want to have a thicker soup (which most people do), you can blend part of the soup.
After liquidy mishaps w/ my blender and food processor, I bought this awesome immersion blender for around $40. As a big fan of soups, this has become an essential kitchen item. If you have one, this step is super simple. Simply insert the immersion blender into the soup (wait until you have it immersed before turning it on!), and blend until the soup reaches the consistency you like. I personally like to still have it somewhat chunky so I know there is meat/things in there (brother's request!). If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender to blend the soup (in batches). Be careful because it's hot!
Serve and Enjoy! It goes great with saltines.
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