Week 164: Italian Lentil Soup

Hello!

Who would've thought the day after I served Spring Minestrone we would wake up to snow on the ground? Spring in the midwest is always an unpredictable adventure.  

Last week everyone was happy enjoying Italian cuisine, so we're going to stay in Italy for one more week. This week's soup is bursting with delicious flavor and will make you feel like you're eating in a fabulous little trattoria!

On the menu for TUESDAY, APRIL 27th is ITALIAN LENTIL SOUP with PANE BIANCO.  This dark but delightful soup, made with Italian sausage and lentils, will be pure comfort in a bowl on these cool spring evenings.  

Sausage and lentils are a perfect flavor combination, you could call it a "marriage made in heaven."  This new soup begins with browning the Italian sausage in the pot.  Next, onion and garlic are added.  A little white wine, homemade chicken stock, roasted red peppers, diced tomatoes, and lentils are mixed in and brought to a boil.  The soup simmers until the lentils are tender and the flavors have all blended together.  It's finished with parmesan cheese, red wine vinegar for brightness, and a generous handful of fresh basil to add a vibrant flavor.

The bread companion this week is Pane Bianco. This delicious bread is filled with sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and fresh herbs. Not only is it a beautiful bread, it tastes fantastic served with this soup.

On the menu for dessert are REESE‘S PEANUT BUTTER PUDDING COOKIES. These cookies are a dream come true for all peanut butter lovers!  The cookies have a very soft and puffy element to them, which is from adding pudding mix to the peanut butter based cookie dough. Then, I add in chocolate chips, Reese Pieces and chopped up Reese’s to finish up the recipe.  You will be in peanut butter chocolate heaven after enjoying one of my favorite cookies! - Jenny from Jenny Sue Delight's