November brings cold chilly days, which means its soup weather again! (YAY!) And what better way to chase the chill away than a big bowl of hearty Lentil and Chorizo Soup?
Lentils are one of those super foods that not only taste great; they’re also a great source of fiber-rich protein that fills you up, so you feel full longer. What I like about this soup is the lentils, and the broth pick up the sweetness from the carrots and the herbal tanginess of the celery, so the base is rich in flavor and not watery. I decided on the spicy chorizo because I wanted to add a little heat and knew the meatiness and spice in the sausage would hold up well to the rest of the ingredients.
Ingredients:
12 cups water
1 pound lentils
1 pound chorizo sausage
3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3 tablespoons white onion, grated
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Rinse the lentils and place them in a heat-proof bowl along with 2 teaspoons of the kosher salt.
2) Boil 4 cups of the water and pour it over the lentils. Soak the lentils for 30 minutes.
3) Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a deep soup pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Using the tines of a fork or a toothpick, prick the chorizo sausages several times on all sides. Place the sausage in the soup pot and brown on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
4) Reduce the heat of the stove to medium and add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a large pinch of the fresh parsley to the soup pot. Cover and cook the vegetables until they’re soft, about 10 to 12 minutes.
5) Remove the cover from the pot and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Allow the mixture to cook for 2 minutes for the alcohol to cook off.
6) Increase the burner temperature to medium-high and add the lentils and the sherry vinegar to the pot. Stir the lentils continually until the sherry evaporates, about 4 minutes.
7) Add the remaining 8 cups of water, the chicken bouillon, the sausage, bay leaves and ground cloves to the pot and bring the soup up to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes until the lentils are tender.
8) While the soup simmers, bring the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a shimmer, over medium heat in a small saucepan. Add the grated onion, garlic, paprika, and a pinch of black pepper and sauté until fragrant.
9) Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute, constantly stirring to prevent the flour from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
10) Remove the sausage and bay leaves from the soup, discarding the bay leaves and place the sausage on a plate to cool.
11) Stir the onion-flour mixture into the soup and cook 10 to 15 minutes more until the soup thickens.
12) While the soup thickens, slice the sausages in half length-wise, then into 1/4 inch thick slices.
13) Return the sausage to the soup along with the remaining parsley and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.
14) Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook the soup for 15 minutes until the flavors have blended and the sausage is heated through. Serve the soup in deep bowls with freshly baked crusty bread.
