This hearty sausage and lentil soup is flavorful and filling. Precooked lentils, steamed lentils or canned lentils all work well in this earthy fall soup.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces hot Italian pork sausage, casings removed
- 1 medium leek, sliced (white and light green parts only)
- 1 cup chopped celery, leaves reserved for garnish
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
- 4 cups loosely packed chopped stemmed collard greens
- 1 ½ cups cooked lentils or 1 (14-ounce) can, rinsed
- 1 (14 ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar
- 6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
Directions
- Step 1
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage; using a spatula, press the sausage into an even layer in the pot. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Using a spoon or spatula, stir the sausage to crumble it into smaller pieces; cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add leek, celery and carrots; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, pepper and salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until the tomato paste is darkened and caramelized, about 2 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in broth, collards, lentils and tomatoes; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the flavors meld and the collards are tender, about 20 minutes.
Step 3
Remove from heat; stir in vinegar. Divide the soup among 6 bowls; sprinkle with Parmesan. Garnish with the reserved celery leaves, if desired.
To make ahead
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: about 1 1/3 cups Per Serving: 287 calories; protein 13g; carbohydrates 24g; dietary fiber 8g; sugars 6g; fat 16g; saturated fat 5g; mono fat 7g; poly fat 2g; cholesterol 33mg; vitamin a iu 6215IU; vitamin b3 niacin 2mg; vitamin c 22mg; vitamin d iu 1IU; vitamin e iu 2IU; folate 54mg; vitamin k 121mg; sodium 732mg; calcium 167mg; iron 3mg; magnesium 23mg; phosphorus 111mg; potassium 473mg; zinc 1mg; omega 6 fatty acid 2g; niacin equivalents 3mg; selenium 12mcg.
