For the past few months, we’ve had a tradition of having soup on Sundays. It’s one of my favorite days of the week because I can make dinner whenever I have time throughout the day and simply let it simmer on the stove until we’re ready to eat. And making a big pot of soup or stew means plenty of leftover for lunch and often times, dinner on Monday.
I’ve made a version of this particular soup a handful of times now and each time it’s been a big hit. I particularly recommend it with a side of skillet cornbread.
Sausage and Lentil Soup with Chard
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
1/2 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy), sliced or crumbled
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups diced potatoes or sweet potatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup lentils
1-28 oz can diced tomatoes
4-6 cups stock or water
4-6 cups diced Swiss chard
Salt, pepper, and Parmesan to taste
1. Warm the oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the onion and carrot, sprinkle with salt, and cook until the onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage.
2. Once the sausage is almost cooked through, add the mushrooms, potatoes, tomato paste, and lentils, and stir to combine. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the diced tomatoes and stock or water and bring to a simmer and cook until the ingredients are cooked through, about 30 minutes, or let simmer on very low heat for up to 2 hours.
3. Add the chard shortly before serving and stir to combine. Season to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese.
Variations: Use celery in place of the mushrooms, quinoa or rice in place of the potatoes, or kale or spinach instead of the chard. You can also double the amount of lentils and skip the sausage for a vegetarian version (or double the amount of lentils and keep the sausage!).