SLOW COOKER LENTIL SOUP WITH SAUSAGE AND APPLES

Slow Cooker Lentil Soup With Sausage and Apples image

Provided by Sarah DiGregorio

Time 8h30m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

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
1 1/2 cups/12 ounces dry hard cider (see Tip)
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 (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add half the diced 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. Scrape the mixture into a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker.
Add the sausage, lentils, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of black pepper to the slow cooker; pour in 3 cups water. Cover and cook on low until the lentils are tender and the flavors are mellowed and blended, about 8 hours. The soup holds well on the warm setting.
Just before you are ready to eat, add the vinegar. Stir together the sour cream with the 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 apple.