Recipe provided by Austin Personal Chef: Carlos CruscoIngredients
4 links Italian Sausage – casing removed and separated into 1 inch pieces
2 tbsp. Olive oil
2 red onions – finely chopped
2 red peppers – finely chopped
6 celery stalks – finely chopped
6 garlic cloves – finely minced
6 carrots peeled (2 finely chopped, 4 into 1/4 inch cubes)
1 six ounce can tomato paste
2 cups canned whole tomatoes with juices – broken into pieces with hands
3 cups Green Lentils
12 cups Beef Stock (vegetable or pork stock can also be used)
3 cups water
4 dried bay leaves
3 potatoes – peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
Parsley – rough chop – for garnish
Crusty French Bread & Pecorino Romano – for garnish
Directions
Place olive oil in a Dutch oven pot on med-high heat. Toss in the sausage pieces and cook until crispy and the fat renders. Once cooked and crispy, remove to a bowl – set aside. Keep the oil and rendered fat in the pot.
In the same pot add onion, peppers, celery, and carrots (finely chopped only); cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or two. Season with salt/pepper.
Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, season with salt/pepper, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium.
Add the lentils, stock, water, sausage pieces and bay leaves to the pot. Taste and reseason as needed. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to medium heat and then simmer covered, stirring occasionally, for about an hour. As the lentils cook clean off the fat/impurities that will rise to the surface.
Finally, once the lentils just start to soften, stir in the large cut vegetables (carrots & potatoes).
Simmer (partially covered) until the vegetables are tender, another 15-20 minutes.
To serve ladle the soup into large bowls. Garnish with chopped Parsley and Pecorino cheese. Serve with warm French Bread that is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Enjoy!
