ITALIAN SAUSAGE, VEGETABLE & LENTIL SOUP
Serves 4
500g Italian sausages (see tip) 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 large carrot, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp dried Italian or mixed herbs 1L chicken stock
400g can crushed tomatoes
¼ cup store-bought tomato pesto
400g can brown lentils, drained
and rinsed
Ground sea salt and cracked
black pepper, to season 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced 60g baby spinach leaves
Flaked parmesan, to serve
Torn baguette, to serve
1. Squeeze sausage meat out of skins. Discard skins. Heat a wide, deep pot over medium to high heat. Add sausage meat and cook, breaking up lumps into small pieces with the end of a spatula.
Cook for 5-7 minutes or until beginning to brown.
2. Add onion, carrot, garlic and dried herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until onion is soft.
3. Stir in stock, tomatoes, pesto and lentils. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently, for 15 minutes. Season.
4. Stir in zucchini and cook, covered, for 3 minutes or until tender. Remove pot from heat, stir in spinach leaves until just wilted. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parmesan. Serve with pieces of baguette.
tip Find good-quality Italian-style or pork and fennel sausages at the butchers. For a heartier soup, ladle into bowls over a spoonful of cooked pasta such as ditalini, baby shells or farfalline. You can also make a vegetarian option by replacing sausage with a 400g can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans added with lentils.