LENTIL & PASTA STEW

~ Taste of Home Slow Cooker Throughout the Year

1/2 lb. smoked kielbasa or Polish sausage, chopped
3 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1 c. peeled, cubed potatoes
3/4 c. sliced carrots
1 celery rib, sliced
1 small onion, finely chopped
5 c. beef broth
1 c. dried lentils
1 c. canned diced tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 t. pepper
1/4 t. salt
1 c. uncooked ditalini or other small pasta
shredded Romano cheese

In a large skillet, brown kielbasa in oil and butter. Add potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion, stirring for three minutes over medium heat. Transfer to 4-5 quart crockpot, then add broth, lentils, tomatoes, bay leafy, pepper, and salt. Cover and cook 8-10 hours on low or until lentils are tender. Cook pasta to desired tenderness, then drain and stir into crockpot. Discard bay leaf and sprinkle individual servings with cheese.

Notes: We use Parmesan instead of Romano, as that's what we always have on hand.

KALE, CHICKPEA, & ORZO SOUP

~ Domestic Divas

2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 c. kale, chopped
1 14-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 c. baby potatoes, chopped
6 c. chicken stock
1 c. orzo
salt & pepper
parmesan (optional)

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery, sauteing for five minutes or until they begin to soften. Add garlic and saute one more minute.

Add kale, chickpeas, potatoes, and stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add orzo and bring to a simmer. Cook ten minutes or until orzo is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Top individual servings with parmesan.

Notes: The noodles soak up so much broth that this is barely a soup by the time you're ready to eat and the leftovers don't have any broth at all, but it's a simple, filling, inexpensive dish that tastes good. I use garbanzos I've previously cooked in the crockpot and sometimes vary the other ingredients according to what I have on hand. At various times I've used chicken and beef broth, as well as homemade turkey bone broth, kale I previously chopped and froze, russet potatoes, barley instead of orzo (I add it with other ingredients because it takes longer too cook, and homemade seasoned salt. 

CABBAGE, ORZO, & SAUSAGE SOUP

~ Just Pasta Recipes

1/2 lb. turkey sausage
1 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 c. water
14 3/4 oz. can chicken broth
15 oz. can plum tomatoes, in juice
2 c. shredded cabbage
2 t. basil
1 t. thyme
1/2 c. orzo
salt & pepper to taste

In large nonstick saucepan, cook sausage in oil over medium-high heat until browned but not cooked through. Remove sausage; cut into 16 pieces.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrot and garlic to saucepan; saute three minutes to soften. Gradually add water, broth, tomatoes, cabbage, basil and thyme, breaking up tomatoes. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add orzo and sausage; simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until sausage is cooked and orzo is tender. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Makes about 7 cups.

Notes: I prefer to use ground pork sausage and prefer a can of diced tomatoes instead of breaking up plum tomatoes. Leftovers are less like soup and more like a pasta dish with giant orzo, as the noodles soak up the broth overnight.