French Lentil Soup With Garlic Sausage - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced carrot (1/4-inch dice)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced celery
3 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
6 ounces garlic sausage, cut into 1/4-inch dice (kielbasa)
2 teaspoons dried thyme (I would start with 1 t., as this is a strong herb)
9 cups beef stock
2 bay leaves, broken in half
1 lb french green lentil (2 cups, Puy lentils)
kosher salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preparation

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
When hot, add the carrots, onion, and celery; cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are just softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, sausage, and thyme; cook 1 minute.
Add the stock, bay leaves, and bring mixture to a simmer over high heat.
Stir in the lentils, then decrease heat, cover, and cook at a gently simmer until tender, about 50 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaves; remove the garlic pieces and transfer to food processor.
Using a slotted spoon, strain 1/2 cup solids from the soup and puree them with garlic pieces in a food processor.
Stir the pureed mixture into the pot; this will thicken the soup slightly.
Taste soup and season with salt, as needed.
To serve, ladle the soup into 6 serving bowls and sprinkle some parsley over each serving.