I am not the biggest fan of fennel. I thought for years that I didn't like sausage, and to this day it is still not my favorite, but it's mostly because of the fennel seeds that are often included. Occasionally I will try fennel-y things again, just in case my tastes have changed. Still don't love fennel - but despite the inclusion of sausage (and therefore fennel) in this soup, I did enjoy it a lot. Easy to make this one vegetarian/vegan by excluding the sausage (yay!) and perhaps adding some mushrooms for earthiness and flavor. Also: hooray for the first fall-type day in North Texas!
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard and Garlic. Serves 6.
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 links sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
1 medium onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced, divided
Salt
Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup lentils, sorted and rinsed (I used French, brown works)
2 bay leaves
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups water
Freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 cups shredded Swiss chard or kale
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pot) in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it starts to brown, about five minutes.
Add the onion, celery, carrots, first two garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and optional red pepper flakes. Cook with the sausage until the vegetables soften a bit, another 5 minutes.
Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, water, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Add more water as necessary if the soup gets too thick.
Add the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and 2 garlic cloves to a small skillet and heat over medium until the garlic softens.
When the lentils are cooked, add the chard and cook until the leaves are tender, just a few minutes more. Discard the bay leaves.
To finish, ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with garlic oil. Serve.