Best Light Lentil Soup With Smoked Trout Recipes

THE BEST LENTIL SOUP

The Best Lentil Soup image

Brown lentils are the star of this dish. To boost flavor, we used a classic mirepoix-onion, celery and carrot - as well as thyme, bay and oregano for an herby finish. We found the fresh lemon juice and parsley at the end brightened up the soup and added a nice pop of color.

Provided by Food Network Kitchen

Categories main-dish

Time 1h30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium onion, diced
1 large celery stalk (about 2 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
7 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped (about 1 teaspoon leaves)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon lemon zest, plus the juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, plus more for garnish, roughly chopped

Steps:

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottom pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, onion, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are starting to caramelize and take on a dark brown color, 8 to 10 minutes (this step is important as it will add tons of flavor to your soup!).
Stir in the tomato paste and garlic and cook, scraping up the brown bits, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the lentils, stock, 4 cups water, thyme, bay leaf, oregano, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, 2 teaspoons salt and a generous amount of black pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook until the lentils are softened with just a bit of bite, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf. Puree 2 1/2 cups of the soup in a blender until smooth then stir back into the pot. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more parsley.

LENTILS WITH SMOKED TROUT RILLETES

Lentils With Smoked Trout Rilletes image

A new take on surf and turf, with simply cooked lentils topped with smoked trout. This plate of lentils topped with quenelle-shaped spoonfuls of smoked trout rillettes is not your run of the mill surf and turf combo. It is inspired by a wonderful dish I ate at Buvette, a tiny, lively bistro in Paris. I was there in October, less than a week after I had eaten at its equally popular twin in New York, where the menu was almost identical, except this dish wasn't offered on the New York menu when I was there (instead I enjoyed brandade). The lentils were simply cooked and came topped with a big scoop of the smoked trout rillettes, a great combo. If I were French I would make the rillettes with lots of butter, but this version has more of a Mediterranean sensibility. Use a fork, not a food processor, to mash the smoked trout, as you want the rillettes to have some texture. Any type of lentil will work here.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Categories dinner, lunch, dips and spreads, main course

Time 45m

Yield Serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

2 cups / 14 ounces lentils (green, brown, or black), rinsed and picked over
1 1/2 quarts water
1 onion, cut in half
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Pinch of cayenne, or 1 dried cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
7 to 8 ounces smoked trout fillets, skin and bones removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (may substitute Greek yogurt)
4 to 6 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt (depending on whether or not you use butter)
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (to taste)
1 to 2 tablespoons minced chives (to taste)
Freshly ground pepper

Steps:

In a medium size pot, combine lentils, water, onion, bay leaf, garlic and optional cayenne. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add salt, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 30 to 40 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but still have some texture. They should not be mushy but they shouldn't be crunchy either. Taste and adjust salt. Add pepper. Using tongs, remove and discard onion and bay leaf.
While lentils are simmering make rillettes. In a medium bowl, break up trout with your fingers or with a fork. In a small bowl, mix together olive oil and butter until well amalgamated. Mash trout with a fork, then work in olive oil and butter, and yogurt. Make sure to mash well and to distribute butter, olive oil and yogurt evenly through the mixture. Work in lemon juice and stir in minced chives and pepper. Refrigerate if not using right away. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.
Spoon warm lentils onto plates or wide bowls. To form quenelles, dip a soup spoon into warm water and scoop up a spoonful of trout mixture. With another soup spoon, round the top of the mound, then ease off on top of the lentils. Repeat with another spoonful and serve.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 358, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 47 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 8 grams, Protein 25 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 912 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams

LENTIL SOUP WITH SMOKED SAUSAGE AND APPLES

Lentil Soup With Smoked Sausage and Apples image

Flavored with apple, sausage and mustard, this slightly creamy lentil soup strikes a nice balance between delicate and hearty. Small green lentils, or French lentils or lentils du Puy, are khaki-colored legumes that have a peppery flavor and keep their shape when cooked instead, which gives this soup an appealing texture. You can also use black lentils or easier-to-find brown lentils, but keep in mind that brown lentils will fall apart as they cook, creating a thicker stew. This soup takes only a few minutes to throw together, and most of the time is spent in hands-off simmering time, putting it within reach for a weeknight. It's never necessary to soak lentils, as they cook relatively quickly. (You can find a slow cooker version of this recipe here.)

Provided by Sarah DiGregorio

Categories dinner, soups and stews, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tart-firm apples, such as Honeycrisp, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh sage sprig, leaves chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 fresh thyme sprig, leaves chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups/12 ounces dry hard cider
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa or Andouille, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick coins
1 1/2 cups/10 ounces dried small green lentils (also called French lentils or lentils du Puy)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 to 6 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

Steps:

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the half the chopped apples, and cook, stirring until softened, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching, about 5 minutes.
Add the celery, garlic, sage and thyme, and stir to combine. Pour in the cider and let it come to a bubble. Add the sausage, lentils, nutmeg and 4 cups water to the pot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper. Let the soup come to a boil, then decrease the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover the pot and cook until the lentils are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.
Just before you are ready to eat, add the vinegar. Stir together the sour cream and mustard, then stir the mixture into the soup. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in bowls topped with the scallions and remaining chopped apples.