Pacific Rim Red Lentil Soup

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lb portuguese chourico (sliced thin)
• 1/4 lb pancetta (small diced)
• 2 cups leeks (medium diced)
• 1 cup carrot (medium diced)
• 1 cup celery root (medium diced)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup wine (esporao 2009,alentejo)
• 8 cups ham stock
• 2 cups red lentils (rinse in cold water)
• 2 cups yukon gold potatoes (medium diced)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon lemon thyme (chopped)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 cups baby spinach

Recipe

• 1 in a soup pot heat olive oil, add portuguese sausage, pancetta and cook until sausages are brown.
• 2 add leeks, carrots, celery root, bay leaves, salt, ground black pepper and saute 4-5 minutes. add garlic saute 1-2 minutes.
• 3 add wine and reduce by one-half.
• 4 add ham stock, potatoes and red lentils. bring to a full boil, cover and reduce to a simmer for 30-minutes or until lentils are cooked.
• 5 add cumin, fresh lemon thyme, lemon zest, lemon juice and simmer for 5- minutes.
• 6 remove soup from heat and discard bay leaves. stir in spinach. season with fine sea salt and fresh ground blackpepper to taste.
• 7 serve soup in warm bowls.
• 8 garnish soup with creame fraiche and chopped chives.