<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

This is thick and quite good.  It's what I call a chop and dump  soup.  Have 
everything chopped, diced, etc.  before you begin the  cooking.  
 
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 medium, (1 large) onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped fine
 

7-10 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (can also use 1/2  water)

1 cup of dried lentils
2-3 carrots, chopped
3-4 ribs celery, with tops, chopped
1-2 small potatoes, diced
1/2 cup of chopped parsley
 
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 tablespoon dried
1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
 
Optional: 1/2 pound of sausage (links or loose) of your choice
              1-2  tablespoons of olive oil
 
1.  If you are using sausage (Cut the links in 1/2 inch sections.),  you may 
need a bit more oil to cook it in.  Use the same soup pan that you  will fix 
the rest of the soup in.  Heat oil.  Cut up the sausage and  brown.  Lower heat 
to cook through.  Set aside in paper towels to  catch the oil.
 
2.  If you have cooked sausage you will have a little oil left in the  pan.  
Dump in the onions and garlic.  Add oil if needed.  Scrap  the bottom and pull 
up the sausage bits.  Cook onions/garlic until color  changes.
 
3.  Add liquid (start with 7-8 cups of stock/water and add remainder  as 
needed), carrots, celery, potatoes, half of the parsley.  Wash and pick  over the 
lentils.  Remove any debris and hard lentils.  Add the  lentils to the soup.  
 
4.  Add all the spices, starting with 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.   Add more 
(cayenne or black pepper, salt) as desired after cooking for 1 1/4  hours (see 
below).
 

5.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and simmer.  Cook for 1 1/4  hours.  Check the 
lentils.  They should be expanding and  softening.  Add sausage, rest of 
parsley.  Check for seasonings.   Cook for another 20-30 minutes or longer depending 
on the lentils.

 
6.  Serves 6-8 people.
 
 
Alternate for non-oil users::::::
 
Use liquid to steam sausage.  (Will need to add more water as directed  in 
the liquid step above.)
Put water in soup pan to cover sausages.  Bring to a  high-simmer.  Add 
sausages and cook by dropping temperature.  Add to  soup as above.
Cooking in this way might give the sausages a taste that you won't like in  
the soup.  It will certainly change the taste of the meat and it will be  
blander.   
OR  
Eliminate the meat completely and start with Step 2 using oil to cook the  
onions and garlic.  Cook and serve.
 
Mary in California
 



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