I like to cook a very large pot of some kind of soup every week. It’s the easiest way to have a well-rounded homemade meal on hand. I make a double batch which, in my house, takes care of two dinners and a kids’ lunch. I try and spread the soup days out so that no one loses interest. Most one-pot dishes taste even better after a day or two in the fridge, but if i’m going to serve the second batch much later I will freeze it. Almost all soups freeze beautifully.

This Lentil Sausage Stew is a staple in my rotation of soups. It’s a hearty nutrient-dense meal that comes together in under 60 minutes. And most of that is hands-off simmering time. If I get the veggies all chopped up first, it’s a great dish to make with the kids. Our three-year-old Little Big Strong Guy will brown the sausage, dump ingredients into the pot, and stir the simmering pot ‘o goodness. Bellies and hearts are warmed when he calls everyone to the table to eat his soup.

Ingredients:

1 lb Grass Fat Farm bulk sausage

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

1 lb brown lentils, rinsed

1 16oz can diced tomatoes

2 quarts bone broth

½ green cabbage, chopped large

Salt and pepper

Steps:

In a large heavy-bottomed pot (I almost always use a cast iron dutch oven), brown sausage over medium-high heat.

Once the sausage has browned, turn heat down to medium, add onions, and cook until translucent.

Add garlic, celery, and carrots. Stir until you can smell the garlic, about two minutes.

Add lentils, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Stir in cabbage, cover, and continue cooking for another 15 minutes or until lentils and cabbage are cooked to your liking.

Season with salt and pepper.

If our Little Big Strong Guy has his way with dinner, the stew (and all meals) is served with rice a generous dollop of sour cream or thick plain yogurt. I think it’s perfect on its own.