Lentil and Sausage Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 small fennel bulb, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 6 cups water
• 3 Parmesan cheese rinds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, plus extra for serving
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Good-quality artisanal bread for serving
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Warm the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Crumble in the sausage with your spoon as it cooks, and let it go for about 10 minutes, until the fat has cooked out and the meat is deeply browned. Scoop the sausage pieces out of the pot and keep them nearby.
2. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, carrots, fennel, and 1 teaspoon salt to the same pot. Set the heat at medium and cook, giving everything a stir now and then, for at least 10 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.
3. Stir in the tomato paste until the vegetables are coated, then cook it for about 2 minutes so it loosens and deepens a bit. Add the garlic, tomatoes, lentils, water, cheese rinds, and bay leaf. Raise the heat to high and bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Take out the bay leaf and cheese rinds and discard them.
4. Put the 1 cup cheese into a blender. Ladle about one-third of the soup into the blender, being careful that the blender is less than one-third full, and puree the mixture with the cheese. Pour the blended soup back into the pot. Stir in the reserved sausage, then add the balsamic vinegar. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you’d like. Serve with bread, more grated Parmesan, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.