A Tale of Two Lentils

Here's another example of how I make two side-by-side recipes that are nearly identical -- except one has meat and one does not. It may sound complicated, but really, it's no extra work. I mean, how hard is it to chop a whole onion instead of half?

In the bit I've written about our family of five, I mentioned that Gregory's favorite meal is Lentil Soup with Lemon (it's one of my favorites too). But Mike isn't keen on it, and Niko and Lena don't even like the sound of Lentil Soup. So I developed this Sausage-Lentil Soup (which I told Niko and Lena was just Sausage Soup), which is almost identical to Gregory's favorite. The difference: it substitutes the flavor sausage for the flavors of oregano and lemon juice.

So here I'll give you recipes to make the soups two ways: side-by-side and individually.


Two Soups at Once
2 Tbl. Extra virgin olive oil
1 pkg. (five links) sausage (bratwurst, sweet Italian, etc.), cut into chunks
1 Tbl. minced garlic
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 to 6 carrots, diced
4 ribs celery, diced
2 1-lb. bags lentils (brown, green or red)
2 quarts vegetable stock
1 quart chicken and/or beef stock
1 bottle beer
2 15-oz. cans tomato sauce
1 Tbl. oregano
scant ½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice

Pot A: Sausage-Lentil Soup
In a large soup pot (we’ll call it Pot A), heat olive oil over medium heat and add sausage, garlic and half each of the onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring regularly, until sausage is cooked through and vegetables are very soft.

Pot B: Lemony Lentil Soup (vegetarian)
Meanwhile, rinse lentils in a colander. In a second large soup pot, place half of the lentils and 2 quarts of vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Pot A:
Once veggies are soft, add 1 quart chicken and/or beef stock (I like to use 2 cups of each), beer and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil and reduce heat, simmering until lentils are soft (how long that takes depend on the age of the lentils and how soft you like them. I find it usually takes about 3 hours). If soup is too thick, thin with a little water or stock.

Pot B:
After an hour, add remaining onion, carrot and celery, 1 can tomato sauce, oregano and olive oil. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft (similarly, how long that takes depends on the age of the lentil and how soft you like them. Since they’ve already simmered for an hour, I find it usually takes about 2 more hours). Once soft, add lemon juice and stir.

Pot A and B:
Season to taste (although I usually find no additional seasonings are needed).

Two soups on their own:

Sausage-Lentil Soup
2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. sausage (bratwurst, sweet Italian, etc.), cut into chunks
1 Tbl. minced garlic
½ large sweet onion, diced
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 15-oz. can tomato sauce
1 quart chicken and/or beef stock (I like to use 2 cups of each)
1 12-oz. beer
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot and add sausage , garlic, onion, carrot and celery and sauté until sausage is cooked through and veggies are soft. Add tomato sauce, stock and beer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are soft.

Lemony-Lentil Soup
1 lb. dry lentils
2 quarts vegetable (or chicken) stock
½ large sweet onion, diced
2 to 3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 15-oz.-can tomato sauce
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbl. oregano
¼ cup lemon juice
Rinse lentil and place in a large soup pot. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer about an hour. Add everything except lemon juice, bring a boil, reduce heat and simmer until lentils are done. Add lemon juice and stir to combine.