Sausage Lentil Soup
Ingredients
½-1lb Italian sausage (I use spicy)
1T Butter & oil (each)
½ c Each of finely chopped onion, carrot, leek & celery
1 ½ c Dried lentils, rinsed
6-8 c Chicken stock
1 c Whipping cream
2-4 T Red wine vinegar
2-3 T Dijon mustard
1½ c Packed fresh spinach – chopped or cut thin
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Brown sausage in a large stockpot over medium heat. Remove and set aside. (with sausage you probably won’t need any oil – but maybe)
In the same pot add butter and oil, add onion, carrot, celery, leeks and cook until tender. Season with salt & pepper. Stir in lentils and add 6 cups of stock and bring to a boil. Reduced heat and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender – about 40 minutes or so.
Add sausage, cream, mustard, vinegar and 1 cup of spinach. Stir until combined, bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add more salt and pepper or mustard & vinegar to taste.
Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with spinach and Parmesan cheese. (I usually don’t do this part)
Ina Garten's Wild Mushroom & Farro Soup
Yields
6 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz dried wild mushrooms, such as morels or porcini
3 T good olive oil
4 oz pancetta, diced
3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups (1/4-inch-diced) peeled carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
2 cups (1/4-inch-diced) celery (3 to 5 stalks)
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup pearled farro (5 ounces)
12 oz fresh Cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems discarded,1/4-inch-sliced
1/2 cup plus 2 T dry Marsala wine, divided
1 quart chicken, turkey, or beef stock
3 large sprigs fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen twine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 T all-purpose flour
2 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz crème fraîche
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions
Place the dried mushrooms and 6 cups of water in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and set aside for at least 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta, onions, carrots, and celery and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
Add the garlic and farro and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the cremini mushrooms and the 1/2 cup Marsala and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the mushrooms have released some of their liquid.
Meanwhile,strain the dried mushrooms through cheesecloth, reserving the liquid.
Coarsely chop the mushrooms and add them to the pot, along with the strained soaking liquid, beef broth, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes, until the farro is tender. Discard the thyme bundle.
Ina small bowl, mash together the flour and butter and stir into the hot soup. Simmer for 5 minutes, then stir in the crème fraîche andremaining 2 tablespoons of Marsala, and taste for seasonings.
Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot.
Notes
Be sure to buy “pearled” farro; regular farro takes much longer to cook.
Make ahead: Prepare the soup completely. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat before serving.
Credit
Ina Garten's Make it Ahead: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook