Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Italian Sausage Stew with Lentils


Yesterday was our time to donate blood and I was proud to realize that donation was my 1 gallon milestone!  The day after donating, I always have a nourishing meal to help my body replenish itself.

I'm still attempting to learn to prepare "small batches" of soups and stews so we don't have days and days of leftovers.

I had browned a 1 pound package of Italian sausage yesterday to use as a pizza topping and about half of it was enjoyed that way.  So today, I decided to let that be the base for this stew.

1 T. olive oil 
4 oz. white mushrooms, sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, sliced
8 oz. ground Italian sausage, browned and drained
1 T. dried Italian seasoning
1 t. kosher salt
a few grinds of black pepper
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup green lentils
3 cups (packed) fresh spinach

In a 3.5 - 4 quart soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add mushrooms, onions, carrots, garlic, and celery and cook for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in cooked sausage, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  

Next pour in tomatoes and vegetable stock.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in lentils and they'll be cooked within 20 minutes or so.  When the lentils are cooked, stir in the spinach and let stew simmer for another 5 minutes or so.  Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Ladle the soup into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese or pesto.




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