This hearty one-dish-supper soup is in my regular fall-winter rotation, and has been a family favorite for quite a long time. That means three things: it tastes great, it’s not complicated, and I usually have on hand everything needed to make it. Once it’s served, people dig in and suddenly, the table’s quiet for a minute or two. Serve it with a hearty whole grain bread and follow it with fruit and cheese for a lovely, easy dinner at home. You’ll see that the primary herb is marjoram. That’s not an herb that you see often in recipes, but to my mind, it’s what makes this soup so tasty. Enjoy!! —
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups French green lentils
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or bacon fat)
- 1 pound Italian pork sausage
- 1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
- 1 pinch Salt (more to taste)
- 3 celery stalks (and their leaves if possible), chopped
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram (or fresh marjoram, chopped)
- 1/2 cup sturdy red wine
- 4 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 4 cups chicken or beef stock (preferably homemade)
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 cups chopped spinach (frozen is fine; just use 1 1/2 cups instead)
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper (more to taste)
- 1 dash Red wine vinegar (more to taste)
