Lentil Soup

For some crazy reason, I thought that it would be relatively warm in Bologna over the winter. At least in comparison to Providence. In a way, it's definitely true. It's not as bitterly cold as Providence winters are. But the truth is, I did not prepare well for the cold weather at all. I did not pack my "sleeping bag jacket" that I wear at Brown all the time, nor did I pack my winter/snow boots. I also did not pack the majority of my thick sweaters. 


Therefore, I needed to find a way to survive the coldest week in Bologna in 26 years by cooking myself a warm hearty soup. My first instinct is to make myself lentil soup. It's healthy, hearty, filling and just delicious.


I tweaked Alton Brown's recipe of lentil soup. Once again, it's not too exact, but I am hoping to get better about this as I go along the semester, and hopefully if you try it, it will work for you as well. 


Before the recipe-sharing though, here is a picture of my soup. Not the best photo, but does its job.

Lentil Soup (Adapted from Alton Brown's recipe) 

Ingredients:

- 1 tablespoon of olive oil

- Smoky sausage (I am guessing that it's about 1/2lb but I really have no idea)

- 1 cup finely chopped onion

- 1 cup finely chopped carrot

- (I would have added celery if I had it in my fridge... AB calls for 1/2 cup of it)

- 1 pound lentils

- 1 cup chopped tomatoes

- 2 quarts chicken/vegetable broth

- Some extra water

- Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

After heating up a pot with olive oil inside over medium-high heat, add onions, carrots and sausage to the pot until the onions are translucent. Then, add the lentils, tomatoes, broth and a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Then let it simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. If too salty (which happened to me) add a bit of water and simmer until the flavors come together. Also add some more freshly ground black pepper if desired. If you want some carbs, add some pasta (like I did above), or farro grains, etc.