I was probably one of the last people to know this, but one of the easiest things you can do when buying Parmigiano-Reggiano, is to save the rind. I’m absolutely obsessed with cheese, I add more to my pasta than anyone reasonably should, and I always have some on hand. Saving reduces waste and popping a rind in the freezer means you always have one on hand to add to soup. When added to a soup, the rind releases a ton of savory delightfulness. I’m not sure how to describe the flavor, as it’s not especially prevalent, just a layer of umami. Adding to this lentil, sausage, and spinach soup elevates it—you won’t regret it and you will learn you should always save the rind!
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 sausage links (approximately 2/3 lb)
- 1 leek (white and light green parts only), small diced
- 1 medium onion, small diced
- 2 medium carrots, small diced
- 2 stalks of celery, small diced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup lentils (sorted and rinsed)
- 2 bay leaves
- A healthy pinch (or to taste) red pepper flakes
- 6 cups water
- 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1 parmesan cheese rind
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3-4 cups baby spinach
- Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings and cook until beginning to brown. Reduce heat to medium, add leek, onion, carrots, celery, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper, and cook for 8-12 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Add garlic, thyme, and cumin, and cook for a few more minutes until fragrant. Add lentils, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, water, crushed tomatoes, and parmesan cheese rind. Bring to a boil then immediately reduce to simmer. Taste for seasonings—it’s almost always necessary to add more salt at this stage, but it’s somewhat dependent on how much salt is in the sausage. Add lentils and cook uncovered for approximately 40 minutes until lentils are tender.
Remove rind (most of it melted into the soup) and bay leaves. Add red wine vinegar and spinach and cook for a few more minutes, just until spinach has wilted.
Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Prepare to be wowed.
Notes
- The flavors of this soup pack a punch! I would never normally advocate for the use of water over broth in a soup, but there is more than enough flavor in this from just water.
- What kind of lentils should I use? It’s up to you. I think a French or brown lentil is perfect here.
- What if we anticipate having leftovers? The spinach gets wilty, brown, and slightly unappealing the longer the soup sits as a leftover. I find it’s helpful to portion out the number of servings you plan on eating and adding spinach to only that (and adding spinach to any leftovers when reheating).
