Brown Rice, Lentil, and Spinach Soup
Brown rice and lentils, simmered with aromatic vegetables, cumin, and thyme, meld to make a delicious full-bodied soup.
Credit: André Baranowski
INGREDIENTS
½ lb. sweet Italian sausage¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, finely chopped
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. cumin seeds,
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 dried chile de árbol
12 cups chicken broth
1 cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed
¾ cup brown lentils, rinsed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ lb. spinach, coarsely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Remove sausage from its casings. Heat oil in a 5-quart pot over medium-high heat; add sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it up into small pieces, until browned, about 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate.2. Add carrots, celery, and onions, along with cumin, thyme, and chile de árbol. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, 10–15 minutes. Add reserved sausage, chicken broth, rice, and lentils and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low, and cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until rice and lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute.
i made this soup yesterday. it came out really good and my husband really likes it.
i cut the olive oil in 1/2 and used chicken sausage to further reduce fat. i also added a couple of tablespoons of wild rice with the brown rice.
the only other thing i would advise is to make sure you use low salt chicken broth (if you are not using homemade), as the italian sausage seemed to add enough salty flavor in mine.
theresa
A little sausage goes a long way. I might also try the recipe again with a spicier chili next time.