Red Lentil and Chorizo Soup

Last Year's Post:  Endive, Apple and Avocado Salad
Two Years Ago:   Chicken and Wild Rice

OK, most of the country is freezing and it's the new year, which means healthy resolutions.  Time for soup.

This is a fresh take on lentil or split pea soup, where Mexican chorizo takes the place of the more traditional smoked sausage or ham.  The chorizo and ground cumin give the soup more of a southwestern profile instead of the German or Russian flavors often associated with a lentil soup.  Red lentils are somewhat more unusual and slightly harder to find than brown or green lentils, but taste basically the same.  I found them at my local Sprouts store in the bulk aisle; you'll generally find them in most natural food stores and of course at Whole Foods.  The reason why they're worth searching out for this soup is purely aesthetic - the yellow color of the cooked lentils contrasts nicely with the green spinach and reddish chorizo and takes it out of the whole "green/brown glop" category that characterizes so many lentil or split pea soups.

Every time I post a recipe with chorizo I feel the need to add the same caution:  Mexican chorizo and Spanish chorizo are two different things.  Mexican chorizo, which is what this recipe calls for, is a fresh (uncooked) sausage sold either in a tube or on a tray - think Italian sausage but without casings.  Spanish chorizo, on the other hand, is a cured dried sausage that looks like a pepperoni link.  If you can't find Mexican chorizo, you can use hot Italian sausage instead - just take it out of the casings.  Either way, the spicy sausage is the perfect addition for what would otherwise be a fairly bland soup so don't leave it out.  And because chorizo is pretty spicy, the sour cream adds nice cooling and creamy accent as well.

Now that it's winter, soup is the perfect comfort food and lentil soup is not only comforting, but good for you and delicious as well.  This soup is ready in about 30 minutes, making it a great weeknight meal.

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Red Lentil and Chorizo Soup

Serves 4-6

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

1 lb dried red lentils

1 small yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces fresh Mexican chorizo (or hot Italian sausage without casings)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

5 ounces baby spinach, stems removed

1 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

  

In a 5-quart soup pot, bring broth, water, lentils, onion, garlic, cumin, and cayenne pepper to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chorizo or sausage and cook, breaking up chunks into small crumbles with a wooden spoon, until fully cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.  

Stir the soup and add salt and pepper to taste, remembering that the chorizo will add both salt and spice. Add the spinach to soup and cook 3 to 4 minutes longer, until spinach is wilted.  Serve the soup topped with chorizo and a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Last Year's Post: Miso-Glazed Scallops with Quinoa and Grilled Pineapple
Two Years Ago:  Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Smoked Mozzarella

I remember disliking stuffed peppers as a kid - bland ground beef stuffed in a green pepper, then baked until the pepper was gray-green and mushy.  Bleh.  This is definitely not that recipe.  Quinoa is combined with kale, spices, pepitas and your choice of protein (spicy, mild, or vegetarian), then quickly baked to heat everything through.  The result is a crunchy , bright blend of flavors and the pepper is basically warmed through but still retains its own crunch.  It's served with an tomatillo avocado sauce for even more flavor, and I added some sour cream on the side because my protein of choice was Mexican chorizo and I needed a little something to tame the spice.  The whole thing is very healthy, delicious and colorful.

I prefer red quinoa's color and think it's slightly more crunchy than white quinoa, but you could certainly substitute white, or even farro or barley or rice.  After cooking the quinoa, you cook your protein - spicy Mexican chorizo, or mild ground turkey.  (If you used tofu of course you don't have to cook it.)  Add in some kale, the quinoa, and some pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds).  If you can't find pepitas, use toasted pine nuts.

While everything is cooking, the peppers are cut open and seeds removed.  I like this method of cutting them open on their side rather than from the top because they're less likely to tip over and they're easier to stuff.  Top the stuffed pepper with a little panko/Parmesan mix for crunch, then bake.

For the tomatillo avocado sauce, you start by roasting the tomatillos. Tomatillos look like little green tomatoes covered in paper - they should be firm to the touch with no soft spots.  Remove the outer papery layer and wash them because they're sticky.  After roasting, throw them with the rest of the ingredients in the blender and puree.

You could easily stuff the peppers and make the sauce in advance, then just bake right before serving so this makes a great weekday meal or a gift meal for someone special.

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Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Serves 4

Quinoa:
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup red quinoa (or white quinoa)

Peppers:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound lean ground turkey, Mexican chorizo, or diced tofu
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
2 large red bell peppers
2 large green or yellow bell peppers
2 cups lightly packed stemmed and julienned kale leaves
1/4 cup toasted pepitas (or pine nuts)
1 1/2 cups finely ground panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Sauce, recipe follows, for garnish
Fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish (optional)

Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Sauce:
6 medium tomatillos (about 8 ounces), husked
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/2 jalapeno, coarsely chopped and seeds removed
1/2 sweet onion, like Maui or Vidalia, rough chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves

Peppers:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

For the quinoa: Over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. As the broth is coming to boil, add the quinoa, then stir and cover. Reduce the heat to a simmer and steam the quinoa until the grains pop, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

For the peppers: Set a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and add the turkey or chorizo, crushed red pepper flakes and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until well browned, 5 to 7 minutes, while stirring with a wooden spoon and breaking up the pieces. Deglaze with the wine. While the turkey or chorizo is browning, rinse the peppers and pat dry. With the pepper lying down on its side, cut off the top and remove the seeds and membrane. Repeat for the remaining peppers. Leave the stem on the top for presentation. Set aside.

Once the meat is browned, shut off the heat and fold in the quinoa, kale and pepitas (add the tofu at this point, if using). Mix to incorporate all ingredients thoroughly. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper if required.

In a small mixing bowl, combine the panko and Parmesan. Add a drizzle of olive oil to lightly moisten and season with salt and pepper. Set the peppers on a roasting tray cut-side up and stuff each with filling. Top each pepper with 1-2 tablespoons of panko-Parmesan topping. Cover loosely with foil, place in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes remove the foil and turn on the broiler. Cook under the broiler to brown and crisp the panko breadcrumbs, 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully so they don’t burn. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow to rest before serving.

Place 1/4 cup of Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Sauce on each plate and place the roasted, stuffed pepper halves in the middle of sauce. Garnish with parsley sprigs and an optional dollop of sour cream.



Roasted Tomatillo Avocado Sauce:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the tomatillos onto a baking sheet. Toss the tomatillos with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place into the oven. Roast until nicely charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Combine the tomatillos, 1/4 cup water, cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, avocado, garlic, jalapenos, onions, lime juice and cilantro in a blender and puree until completely smooth. Place in the refrigerator and allow the sauce to settle before serving, so it is smooth.