Lentil Soup with Kielbasa Sausage
Probably the oldest known leguminous crop and one of the earliest domesticated crops, people have been eating lentils since 8000 BC.
Depending on the time and place, lentils have been considered food for the upper-classes or as peasant food. There is archeological evidence that lentils were part of the Egyptian royal diet. In Greece, it was food favored by low-income communities. It’s a very old legume, possible the oldest one known, pre-dating history such that no one is for sure where it was first domesticated, but is thought to have originated in western Asia or the Mediterranean. For certain, it was eaten by the Egyptians, Romans and Hebrews; it is the only legume to be mentioned by name in the Bible. Lentils, in fact, became popular amongst early Christians and later Catholics during the period of Lent, when eating meat was forbidden; the association between Lent in Lentils was so strong, that many believed the word Lent was derive from the legume, but this is a misconception. According to the Catholics themselves, the word “Lent” comes from the old English, “lencten," which means “spring." However, our more modern word “lens” in fact is named after the convex appearance of the lentil.
Regardless of the etymology of the word, lentils are delicious and highly nutritious. Dried lentils do not require soaking like all other legumes, and they cook very quickly. There are hundreds of varieties, with fifty or so cultivated as food and they range in color for green to brown to red, with each having their own unique characteristics.
There are wide variations on the internet for the manner in which to prepare Lentil Soup, including the addition of fresh spinach or kale toward the end of cooking, allowing the green leaves just enough time to become limp. I prefer the more traditional route and omitted that step from this recipe which was modified from one My Number One Fan found on allrecipes.com.
Lentil Soup with Kielbasa Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried lentils (2 cups)
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1- 1/2 cups carrots, diced
- 1- 1/2 cups celery, diced
- 3 tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 2 bay leaves
- 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes (like, Hunts)
- 3 cups chicken stock (like, Kitchen Basics or Swanson's)
- 14.5 can chicken broth (like, Swanson's)
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 lb kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp fine sea salt
- 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering, then add the onion, celery and carrots and sauté until the onions begin to take on a little color, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, oregano and basil; sauté for 2 minutes more.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, chicken broth, white wine and water; stir to combine.
- Add the bay leaves, salt, pepper, lentils and kielbasa and stir again.
- Reduce heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 2 hours. You will notice that the lentils will absorb a good deal of the liquid and the soup will become much thicker.
- Stir the soup every 20 minutes or so while cooking. If the soup is too loose for you, then take the lid off and allow the liquid to reduce a bit. If it gets too thick, add more water or chicken stock.
- Toward the end, add the vinegar and additional salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Notes
- If you want to add fresh spinach or kale, do so in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- This soup will freeze well, and keep 6 - 9 months. Defrost and reheat in the microwave.
- This soup is a meal in itself, but a good hearty cheese biscuit or slice of cornbread goes along side quite well.
