Lentils come in a rainbow of colors—green, brown, yellow, orange. Red lentils add body and flavor to this Middle Eastern soup. Serve with a Greek salad.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery rib, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
6 cups Chicken Stock or purchased low-sodium stock
1 pound red lentils, rinsed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 pound Merguez links, North African Lamb Sausage links, or purchased hearty sausage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Heat olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add turmeric, cumin, and coriander, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
2. Stir in stock, lentils, and parsley, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer soup, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Remove soup from the heat, and set aside.
3. While soup simmers, preheat the oven broiler and line a broiler pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Prick sausages on all sides, and broil 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element for 5 to 7 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink, turning them with tongs to brown on all sides. Allow sausages to sit for 5 minutes, then cut them into 1/2-inch pieces, and cover sausage to foil to keep warm.
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender, a food processor fitted with the steel blade, or in a blender; this will have to be done in batches unless using an immersion blender. Return soup to the pan, if necessary.
5. Add sausage to soup, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer soup for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Note: The soup can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it over low heat, covered.