Lentil, Sausage, and Kale Soup

For a blog called Rhubarb and Venison, I sure haven’t been posting many game recipes lately. I guess I’m just a girly girl at heart – I love my red KitchenAid mixer and the smell of flour, butter, and sugar baking up in the oven.


But a gal can’t live on baked goods alone…although it would be fun to try. So here’s a recipe with one of my favorite forms of venison: bulk Italian sausage (half pork, half venison). So easy, so versatile, so good.

The idea of making your own sausage may sound intimidating - I know I sure didn't think of trying it before meeting my sweetheart carnivore. But sausage is nothing more than ground meat mixed with spices. Easy peasy. If you don’t want to blend your own spice mix, most butchers will sell you the seasonings, even measuring it out for your exact weight of meat. You don’t even have to stuff the meat into casings – just leave it in bulk form, freeze it in 1-lb. packages, and be prepared to be crowned spaghetti sauce royalty.

So we have the manly Italian sausage, mixed with the decidedly more feminine lentils and kale – a perfect balance, if you ask me. I don’t know if there is such a thing as a recipe dedication, but I’m going to do it anyway. I dedicate this recipe to my dear mom, the only other person I know that appreciates a dish of lentils and kale as much as I do.


We must be related or something.

If you’re looking for more on all things venison, check out these excellent blogs on eating wild.

Fat of the Land
Hunter Angler Gardener Cook
Cooked Animals

Lentil, Sausage, and Kale Soup
Adapted from Cooking Today. I know. I'm addicted. Have you ordered your copy yet? Don't skip the vinegar - it's adds a ton of flavor.

1 and 2/3 cups brown lentills, picked over and rinsed
4 cups water
4 cups pheasant stock (or store-bought chicken broth)
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 Tbls. tomato paste
1/2 lb. kale, ribs removed and chopped (4 cups packed)
1-2 Tbls. red wine vinegar

Combine lentils, water, stock, bay leaf, and half of garlic in 4-quart pot and bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 5- or 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderately high heat. Add sausage and cook until brown, breaking up with spoon, about 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl, leaving any oil in the pot. Reduce heat to moderate and add onion, carrot, celery, remaining garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 5 mins. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 mins. Add sausage and simmering lentils with cooking liquid, and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, another 10-15 mins.

Stir in kale and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Discard bay leaf, stir in vinegar to taste and season with salt and pepper.