I am back and I have missed you! Had to step away for a bit, but I’m here to tell you that I’ve got lots of dishes and recipes itching to get posted! So, here’s to ‘relaunching’ my Digital Recipe Site, excited about it and loving it!
Let’s start with a fantastic soup that I’ve fixed several times this winter already. Chorizo Lentil Soup. It has the perfect balance of flavors, vegetables, heartiness and soupiness. (Probably not a real word, but that’s how my vocabulary rolls) It’s a dish I fix for myself when Paul is out of town for a few days because it reheats so well and has everything I need for a meal. Well, maybe add a cake of cornbread slathered in lots of butter!
Another beauty about this soup is it freezes fantastic. I like to use serving size freezer containers, divide the batch into several and throw them in the freezer. When I want one, two or a few, I get them out and thaw in the microwave. Delicious! On top of that, it’s truly simple to make and can be done from start to finish in 45 minutes! And in one pot. Less dishes to clean!
Here’s how I make it.
Chorizo Lentil Soup
In a 3-4 quart pot, brown the chorizo in a teaspoon of oil for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, breaking it up as you would ground beef. Drain any excess grease.
The chorizo I use for this recipe is encased in plastic that needs to be removed before browning. The meat will fall apart like ground beef.
Add the Lentils, cannellini beans, tomatoes and carrots.
If Paul is home to have some, I’ll also throw in a chopped jalapeno! Yummy!
Sometimes I have a hard time finding 14-15 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes. They’re usually those big 29 ounce cans. So, I just dump a can of diced tomatoes into a container and use my handy dandy hand blender! Only takes a few pulses and you’ve got crushed tomatoes!
Pour in the beef broth and red wine.
It’s only a couple splashes of red wine, so if you don’t have a bottle open, just use the cooking burgundy wine. It conveniently keeps well in the pantry.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmering low. I like to see it still bubbling, just a low bubble. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper if needed. I have found that I don’t use any. There’s plenty of sodium in the chorizo and canned goods.
Ladle into a nice big bowl…
I like to top it with some cilantro or parsley leaves and a nice wedge of fresh hot cornbread!
Other Soups and Stews you might be interested in:
Here’s the printer friendly recipe.
This Chorizo Lentil Soup has the perfect balance of flavors, vegetables and heartiness to make it a meal in itself. On top of that it's a one pot dish that can be put on the table in 45 minutes!
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chorizo sausage, casting removed
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup dried lentils, any color
- 1 - 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained
- 1 - 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes (or whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand)
- 1/2 cup diced carrots, fresh or frozen
- 32 ounces (4 cups) beef broth or stock
- 2 Tablespoons dry red wine or cooking burgundy wine
- salt and pepper to taste
- cilantro or parsley leaves for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a 3-4 quart pot, brown the chorizo in a teaspoon of oil for 3-5 minutes over medium heat, breaking it up as you would ground beef. Drain any excess grease.
- Add the Lentils, cannellini beans, tomatoes, carrots, beef broth and red wine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmering low, just a low bubble. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until the lentils are tender. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Notes
The chorizo I use for this recipe is encased in plastic that needs to be removed before browning. The meat will fall apart like ground meat.
Can't find 15 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes? Dump a can of diced tomatoes into a container and use a hand blender! Only takes a few pulses and you've got crushed tomatoes!
Red wine recommendations: Red Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Burgundy. Or your favorite!
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