Stay warm, please

Well, much of North America seems to be in the grips of one of the most frigid cold snaps ever.  It is downright arctic down here in Atlanta.

Time to get out the winter woollies.

My poor little ice-encrusted potted herbs.

If this isn't soup weather, I don't know what is.  

A nice big pot of hearty winter soup.
The one pictured here is vegetarian, but if you're a meat-eater,
adding sausage will make it even heartier.

I cooked up a batch for dinner yesterday, and it was so good. Here's my recipe:

Hearty Winter soup with Lentils and Kale:

 1 tbsp olive oil
8 oz sweet Italian sausage (optional), casings removed
 2 leeks (white and light green parts) washed well, cut in half lengthwise, and chopped into 1/4" pieces
 2 ribs celery, sliced into 1/2" pieces
 1 28oz can whole tomatoes
4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
 2 sweet potatoes (or waxy potatoes), peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
 1/2 cup lentils
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves cut into 1/2" strips
 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and celery, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, and cook 5 minutes.

Add the stock plus 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir in the potatoes, lentils, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Reduce to a simmer until the lentils and potatoes are tender, about 25 - 30 minutes.

Add kale and cook until it wilts, about 5 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan.

This'll keep you warm.  

Enjoy!