RECIPE: Traditional Bulgarian Lentil Soup with Sausages

Hello, and Happy Wednesday AKA Little Friday, as we call it here in Bulgaria!

As you have probably already noticed, I go wild with soups these days!
Mostly because of the pregnancy and the fact that my stomach is crushed by the baby and its increasing size (LOL).

Today I will be showing another recipe from my childhood and also a traditional Bulgarian one - Lentil Soup with Sausages.
The truth is that I got inspired by @yiobri and her recent recipe for red bean soup and that short discussion we had after I discovered her post.

Here, in my home country, you can find two varieties of that dish - one is more like stew and the other one is like soup. And this is one that we will be preparing today here.

So, let's start with the recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

350 gr. lentil
1 carrot (medium size)
1 onion (medium size)
7 cloves of garlic
70-80 gr. tomatoes (canned)
300 gr. sausages (Wiener)
savory
salt
olive oil
dried red pepper powder (smoked)

First, start off by cutting your vegetables into medium-sized pieces. I believe that this size is the most adequate because your veggies are going to be cooked a lot and you wouldn't want them to dissolve and disappear into the soup.

Then you should cut the sausages into small parts. I used Wiener sausages for my soup but you can of course choose according to your personal taste preferences.
I cut each sausage into 5 small pieces. After that, I slice both ends of each piece into a cross shape. This way the flavor of the sausage is going to incorporate even better into the soup broth and bonus fact - those pieces are going to make your soup look fun and extraordinary.

Place your cooking pot on the stove and turn the heat to medium temperature.
Pour around 1,5-1,7 l water inside the cooking pot and put the lentil too.

Then add the vegetables to the water - carrot, onion, and garlic.
Now it's action time - you should leave the soup for around 35-40 minutes to cook.
Check regularly your ingredients. Lentil is quite fragile and if you overcook it you might end up with a cream soup.

When the lentil is almost ready and the veggies are becoming soft, it is time to add the sausages.
After adding, they need about 10 minutes for their flavor to fully incorporate into the broth.
You will see how those cut that you made earlier are going to make the sausage pieces bloom like tiny flowers.

And you are done! Your traditional Bulgarian lentil soup is ready! You will see how your home is going to fill with that delightful and tasty smell! And once you try it, I believe that you would prepare it again!

I hope you have enjoyed that fast and easy recipe for lentil soup!
If you decide to actually try that at home, please let me know if you like the final result!

Stay tasty,
Chef Kate