I love lentils in all their earthy humility. They're unfancy little things, uncomplicated and straightforward. They pair beautifully with rich, robust flavors that complicate their relative simplicity.
In this cold-weather recipe that reads more like a stew than a soup, lentils pair beautifully with mushrooms, plenty of garlic, bright tomatoes, leftover turkey (or chicken) and a spoonful of smoked paprika.
Lentils are also packed with nutrition, particularly the B vitamins thiamin and folate as well as minerals like phosphorus and iron. In a letter to his nieces and nephews (an appendix in this book: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration), the nutrition pioneer Dr. Weston Price described lentil soup as one of the most valuable foods to include in the diet owing both to its relative nutrient density and its affordability.
Smoky Sprouted Lentil Soup with Mushrooms, Turkey and Andouille Sausage
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic sliced thin
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- 4 ounces mushrooms sliced thin
- 2 teaspoons finely ground real salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ cups diced cooked turkey preferably smoked
- 8 ounces Andouille sausage sliced ¼-inch thick
- ¾ cup TruRoots sprouted lentils available here
- 4 diced tomatoes
- 6 cups bone broth Recipe in this cookbook or chicken stock
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large stock pot or Dutch oven (this is what we use) over medium heat, and then toss in the onion, garlic, thyme and sliced mushrooms. Stir in the salt, cover the pot, and allow the onion and garlic to sweat until translucent - about 4 minutes. Stir in the paprika and continue cooking, uncovered, a further two minutes.
- Stir in the turkey sausage and lentils. Pour in the broth and tomatoes, and simmer, covered, until the lentils soften and become tender - about twenty-five minutes.
Leave a Reply