I'm trying to pack in as much kitchen love as possible before I start back to the mundanity of classes, teaching, and constant reading. So I cooked a lot today.

I'm also on a Soup Kick - I've decided to have at least one Tupperware full of soup in the fridge at all times for quick lunches. We finished the curry-apple-cauliflower yesterday, so...I made soup.

I (very slightly) modified a lentil and sausage soup that I found on Farmgirl's site to look like this:

From Food photos

Here's what I did:

Red Lentil and Italian Sausage Soup

4 links sweet or hot Italian sausage (I used sweet) in chunks
Healthy glug of olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic
1 cup red lentils, rinsed (aren't they gorgeous?)
4 cups water
2 cans diced tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
1 tbs paprika
1/4 cup chopped parsley
salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Brown the sausage chunks in a touch of oil in a skillet. Set sausage aside; brown carrots, onion, garlic in some of the sausage grease. Add the lentils and stir around, then add the water and tomatoes. Simmer for 1/2 hour; add spices and simmer again for 1/2 hour. Immersion blend most of it till chunky and add the sausage.

This soup was a gorgeous color because of the red lentils, and was so hearty and delicious. I ate 1 1/2 bowls. It was especially good with the buttermilk bread you see behind it - the bread is slightly sweet.