Take that name to mean anything you please … whether you make this soup out of chicken stock, turkey stock or vegetable stock, you can bet it’ll be scrumptious. What elevates this above a standard chicken (turkey … veggie) noodle soup are the copious amounts of carrots and celery, the beefy lentils, and the fun little topping of sauteed root veggies and sausage. PS – you can make this vegetarian and still have a super hearty soup.
1 quart chicken, turkey or veggie stock
1 onion, peeled and sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch wedges
6 medium carrots, peeled and cut on a bias into 1-inch pieces
5 celery stalks, cut on a bias into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 turnips, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice (want to see a video of how to dice? Click here)
1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into a 1/2-inch dice
6 ounces loose Italian pork or chicken sausage
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-1/2 cups sprouted lentils (or regular green lentils cooked until just tender)
2 cups cooked farfalle pasta (cooked 2 minutes less than instructed cooking time)
1 cup shredded chicken or turkey (optional)
In a large pot, bring stock, onion, carrots and celery up to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
While stock is simmering, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Add turnips, rutabaga and sausage to the pan and toss to coat with olive oil. Saute, turning occasionally and breaking up the sausage with a stiff spatula, for 12-15 minutes, until vegetables are browned on the outside and tender throughout. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add the lentils, pasta and turkey to the soup pot and simmer for 3 minutes.
Serve each bowl of soup topped with a generous heap of root veggies and sausage.
Serves 6-8
Note: It’s super easy to make this soup vegetarian, and with the pasta and lentils, it’s still quite hearty. Just use veggie broth and omit the sausage and shredded meat.
When I go there, my first response is to overexert my willpower. I’m sure it’s born of decades of dieting, but I immediately feel like, if I’m going to prevail and not gain weight, then, dang it, I’d better shore myself up for some hefty denial.
Eating Well – A Simple Celebration: Savor the bounty of the Americas, from juicy turkey and wild rice to cranberries and chocolate, with this easy, delicious Thanksgiving menu. I’d wanted to write this piece celebrating foods native to the Americas for a long, long time. Eating Well bought it this year and we came up with some amazing dishes … just ask anyone who came to our “Thanksgiving in April” testing dinner! I’m making the Salt and Sage Rubbed Turkey for Thanksgiving.