Alaska News

Alaska from Scratch: A comfort against cold days, lentil soup with Italian sausage

We had been having a string of dreary days with intermittent snowfall, followed by unwelcome freezing rain and every Alaskan's favorite -- slush and ice. The waters of Cook Inlet turned deep and brooding, a charcoal shade of gray. The skies turned a paler shade, like the coat of a gray wolf. Then suddenly the snow appears -- giant, gorgeous flakes of the purest white, falling silently, as if in slow-motion.

When the weather is monochromatic, changeable and often sloppy, I find myself craving a hearty, wholesome bowl of warmth and comfort. Something nutritious, something that sticks to your ribs and makes you feel safe and satisfied. Thankfully, I had bookmarked just such a soup recipe to use as inspiration in a cookbook I had picked up on a spontaneous trip to the library.

This lentil-based, protein-rich soup takes a garlicky turn, which I love, bolstered by Italian sausage, vibrant red Swiss chard and tomatoes. I served it with a generous amount of grated Parmesan cheese and some of my homemade rosemary focaccia on the side. It makes fantastic leftovers.

Lentil soup with Italian sausage and chard

Serves 6

1 pound of sweet Italian sausage

1 onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

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1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)

1 cup lentils (I used red lentils, but brown would also work)

28 ounces of diced tomatoes, undrained

4 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups red Swiss chard, shredded

To finish the soup:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

In a large pot, like a dutch oven, over medium heat, brown the Italian sausage in a swirl of extra virgin olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes followed by the lentils. Pour in the tomatoes, chicken broth, water, salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender, stirring often. When the lentils are tender, stir in the red Swiss chard and cook 3-4 minutes more until the chard is just tender.

While the chard is cooking, heat the 1/4 cup of olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until the garlic is softened and the oil is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. You don't want the garlic to brown. Remove the soup from the heat, drizzle the olive oil and garlic over top of the soup, and stir it in to combine. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Adapted from "Secrets of the Best Chefs" by Adam Roberts.

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