Dateline: May 13, 2020. In honor of Jack, an exploration of soup, Lentil Hodgepodge

So Jack, a twice removed cousin of my husband, Bill, stayed with us for 2 months last fall.  It was lovely having him and truth be told, sorry to see him move into his own apartment.  Currently he is hunkered down with his parents, sister, and soon to be brother-in-law in Rehoboth, Delaware.  He asked if I would write something about soup.  I did.  I was inspired to follow it up by making soup/stew for dinner tonight.

Ingredients

2 carrots, peeled and sliced into spoon-sized chunks

3 stalks of celery, cut into spoon-sized chunks

1 large onion, cut into spoon-sized chunks

1 leek, cleaned and cut into pieces

1 fennel bulb, cored, cut into spoon-sized chunks

4 andouille sausages, cut into rounds

1 T garlic flavored oil

1 T olive oil

1 bunch kale, stripped and chopped into spoon-sized pieces

1 bunch parsley with stems, chopped up

6 small zucchini, cut into spoon-sized chunks

10 small steamed potatoes

1 c brown lentils, rinsed

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

600 ml dry white wine

1 qt chicken stock, preferably homemade

1/2 packet Goya Sazon

1 T nutritional yeast

Method

Aromatics into the pool

In a large dutch oven or soup pot put the oil.  When it is hot, add the first 6 ingredients and cook until the onions are softened and the sausage gives up some of its fat.  Salt and Pepper the aromatics gently.  

lentils ready for a swim

Add in the lentils and mix well

Add in the tomatoes, and mix

secret ingredient

Add the yeast in, and mix well to blend in.

bubble, bubble

Umami bombs away

Now add in the stock, mix well and bring to a slow simmer














Add in your greens and stir

Use any inexpensive light wine you have on han

Cover and simmer until lentils are almost tender, about 30-35 minutes.  Then add in your zucchini and potatoes.  Cover and simmer until ready.

All together now

And to finish things out, a lovely cucumber, onion, tomato, beet, and feta salad