An Ode to Lentils

Give the humble legumes their due

Lentils add a hearty, earthy, and rich base to soups and stews—and beyond—with endlessly riffable possibilities. Kiian Oksana/Shutterstock

I don’t know why I overlook the humble lentil. These tiny legumes that resemble pancaked pebbles are often bypassed in my pantry, as I reach for grains and beans. When I finally do cook lentils, I remember how good they taste, how satisfying they are to eat, and how easy they are to prepare.

Eminently flexible, lentils can stand in for a grain, starch, even a protein. They are healthy, too—rich in nutrients and high in protein, iron, and fiber, arguably placing them neck and neck with other lauded foods in the super-food department. They also have the added benefit of being very easy on the wallet.

Lentils cook quickly and without any fuss, gamely absorbing the flavors and seasonings of their fellow ingredients and braising liquids, while adding a hearty, earthy, and rich base to soups, stews, side dishes, even salads. This soup is a perfect example. It’s the essence of a simple lentil soup, with traditional seasonings and sautéed aromatics such as onion, carrot, and thyme simmering in a good amount of stock.

Lentils are a pantry powerhouse: cheap, versatile, healthy, and tasty. SMarina/Shutterstock

Yet it doesn’t stop there: Wilted kale leaves add balance and freshness to the feisty broth infused with spicy chorizo sausage, along with peppery and smoky paprikas, a dollop of tomato paste for fruity good measure, and another dollop of fiery harissa to boot.

In essence, this is a lentil soup and then some. It’s inspired by North African and southern Mediterranean flavors, which lend warmth and vibrance to what remains a remarkably humble and satisfying soup that passes for a delicious weeknight dinner.

Lentil, Sausage, and Kale Soup

Spicy chorizo, hearty kale, and fiery harissa take this simple lentil soup to new heights. Lynda Balslev for Tastefood

Active Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 ounces Spanish chorizo, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 to 6 lacinato kale leaves, tough stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon harissa
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chorizo in one layer and brown on both sides, 4 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate lined with paper towels. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from the pot.

Add the onion and carrot to the pot and sauté until the onion softens and the carrot brightens in color, about 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper and tomatoes and sauté until the pepper is crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Add the lentils, stir to coat, and then add the tomato paste, thyme, the sweet and smoked paprika, and the cumin. Cook, stirring constantly, until blended and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the stock, partially cover the pan, and simmer over medium-low heat until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the kale leaves and continue to simmer until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes.

Stir in the harissa, brown sugar, and vinegar, then add the salt and black pepper and taste for seasoning. Serve warm.

Lynda Balslev is a cookbook author, food and travel writer, and recipe developer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her Danish husband, two children, a cat, and a dog. Lynda studied cooking at Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine in Paris and worked as a personal chef, culinary instructor, and food writer in Switzerland and Denmark. Copyright 2020 Lynda Balslev. Distributed by Andrew McMeel Syndication.