Sausage and lentil soup is hearty but not heavy
Q: My son loves the lentil soup at Tavolino Della Notte. I’ve made many versions of this soup over the years but mine never tastes as good. Will you please ask the chef for the recipe? I’d like to surprise my son with a batch. — Maggie Stevens, Oakland Park
A: Chef Bruno Silva of Tavolino Della Notte (10181 W. Sample Road, Coral Springs; 954-509-0046, tavolino restaurant.com) has been making the Sausage and lentil soup for nine years. He started featuring the soup as a special. After repeated requests the soup eventually took the place of the pasta fagioli as a permanent menu item.
What’s the appeal? Manager Eddie Pozzuoli says, “Our lentil soup is hearty without being heavy. And it’s satisfying and healthy at the same time. My wife eats it every day. The pieces of Italian sausage with fennel and the crispy onion garnish add great flavor and texture.”
During season Silva makes the recipe at least twice a week, yielding over 16 gallons of soup. I scaled back the recipe considerably for home cooks. This inevitably changes the flavor profile slightly. As with all recipes that you are trying to re-create, taste as you go and adjust the ingredient amounts to suit your own individual tastes.
For ease and convenience, the crispy onion garnish is listed as “homemade or store-bought.” If you’d like to follow the chef ’s steps, thinly slice onions and toss in all-purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry in canola or vegetable oil until golden brown and drain on paper towels.
This soup freezes well, but don’t add the garnishes until serving.