Cabbage & Sausage Soup + Lentils

Serves 4 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 30 minutes

This is a hearty soup that will keep you warm and nourished. I’d happily eat this anytime of the year though. If you don’t remember to soak the lentil just give a quick rinse and add a little more cooking time.

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil
1/2# Italian sausage (about 3 links)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 yellow onion, cut into 1/2 inch dice
3 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 head cabbage (regular or savoy), cored, cut into inch strips
1/2 cup lentils (soaked for at least 2 hours)
2 cups (500g) can crushed tomatoes
2L chicken stock or vegetable stock
Kosher salt
Red wine vinegar
Parmesan, freshly grated
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
To serve: crusty bread (optional)

Chef Tips

To make this vegetarian substitute the sausage with another hearty vegetable. May I suggest sweet potato or celery root? If you have any hard herbs like thyme and rosemary use them! Don’t be afraid to make it your own. If you had any left over parmesan rinds, now is the perfect time to use them.

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat a dutch oven oven medium heat. Remove the casing from the sausage. Brown the sauce in some olive oil until the sausage is golden brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon along the way. Remove the sausage and set aside,

In the same pan add the peppers, onions, and celery. Add a tablespoon of oil if the pan looks a bit dry. Season with kosher salt and cook until golden brown and soft. About 8 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook another 2 minutes. Once the cabbage is slightly wilted, turn up the heat. Add the lentils, tomato, the cooked sausage and chicken stock. Season again with salt. Bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Taste the soup. Add the parsley, a lot of freshly ground black pepper. Ladle into your favorite bowl with a good shaving of parmesan.