Curried Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage and Toasted Almonds

Wow. Two dinners featuring curry two weeks in a row. Many years ago, I didn't think I was a fan of curry. Think of how many good meal opportunities I wasted. Now I have to make up for that time. So, more curry it is.

This delicious soup is like "nothing you would ever expect," according to my family. "It's so different, and SO good," exclaimed one. And I'm glad they loved it, because it's full of healthy goodness like carrots, celery, lentils and chicken sausage. It also has white beans, but since my family is not a fan, I tricked them (!) and pureed them first to add body to the soup. You can leave them in whole, just as easily.

Whatever you do, don't skip the almonds. I know, it seems really weird to eat almonds on soup. But it works! So don't skip it thinking it would be better without the almonds. It won't be. Just believe me.

This is a great soup for these long winter days and chilly nights. I hope your family enjoys it as much as mine did!

Find more ideas at Inspire Me, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul.


Curried Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage and Toasted Almonds

1 Tbsp. oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1-2 large carrots, peeled and small diced
1-2 stalks celery, small diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 can white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound precooked chicken sausage, diced
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

In a large pot or Dutch Oven, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables start to soften, stirring often.

Add the broth and lentils. Bring to a low simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, but not mushy.

Stir in the sausage and beans (either whole or pureed) and heat through. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm with slivered almonds and cilantro.

Recipe Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Coconut Curry Shrimp

I have been on a roll lately in making new recipes that the whole family loves. This is just another example.

Curry is a wonderful treatment for shrimp, and when combined with coconut milk, it just takes it over the top. This delightful dish makes a wonderful and complete dinner when served over rice and with a green vegetable. And it ticks all of my weeknight boxes: easy, fast, delicious.

I use cooked shrimp in this dish for the convenience factor. If you use raw shrimp, just peel and devein it and add it to the sauce and let it cook for 2-3 minutes instead of just warming. Easy peasy!

January is a great time to try new recipes - I hope this one will become a regular at your house!

There are a lot more great ideas at Inspire Me, Inspire Me 2, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul.


Coconut Curry Shrimp

12 oz. cooked large shrimp
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. butter
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
1 tsp. coconut palm sugar
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

In a large skillet over medium heat, add onion and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute. Add ginger, salt, black pepper, and curry powder, stir to combine.

Add the coconut milk and sugar, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low-boil. Combine butter and flour; add to the skillet and cook until it starts to thicken up, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook just until heated through, about 15 seconds.

Remove from the heat. Add the lime juice and cilantro, stir to combine. Serve over rice.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

Here in the Upper Midwest, January is a long month, with more of winter yet to come. And it's been an interesting one, with temperatures varying 30 degrees from day to day. When it's chilly and you need a good comforting dinner, soup is always the answer! This Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup was a big hit with my family. Using a rotisserie chicken makes it super simple - just chop up some veggies and get simmering! Cooking chicken in the Instant Pot is also an easy way to prepare chicken for recipes.

(To cook chicken in the IP, I add about 1 cup of water, season the chicken and set to manual pressure for 6 minutes for fresh and 12 minutes for frozen...times will vary slightly depending on the size of your chicken pieces.)

For the noodles in the soup, I used German Spaetzle which I got at Aldi. They are more egg-y than traditional pasta and work really well in this soup. They are also excellent topped with beef stroganoff! However, I am also a big believer in use what you have - so whatever pasta shapes you have in the cupboard will work just fine! Enjoy this soup with some crusty bread and a big green salad and you'll be warm from the inside out!

Find more inspiration at Inspire Me, Fabulous, Hearth and Soul.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

3 cups cooked, chopped chicken
5 Tbsp. butter
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
1 tsp. parsley
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz. small pasta shapes or fettucine or spaetzle

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, melt butter and add carrots, onion, celery, parsley, thyme and garlic powder. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium-low and add flour. Stir and cook for three more minutes.

Add broth and stir with wooden spoon until combined. Add cooked chicken and stir. Reduce temperature to low. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Add cooked pasta, peas, cream and salt and pepper to taste. Cook and stir until peas are warmed through. Serve immediately. Makes 6-8 servings.

Most Popular Recipes of 2019

Today on the Countdown to 2020 (one more day!) it's time to look back at the most popular recipes on Cook with Sara in 2019. These were some of my favorites, too, so it was fun to see that the readers agree. I hope you'll try one or more in the New Year.

Soy and Honey Glazed Cod

Twice Baked Potatoes

Upside Down Shepherd's Pie

Check out these other bloggers, too!

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Best Desserts of 2019

As we countdown to 2020, today is the day we take a look back at the best desserts of 2019. This category has unusually slim pickings this year - as I mentioned before, many of my new recipes this year were main dishes. But just because there are fewer desserts to choose from doesn't reflect on the quality or deliciousness of the desserts - these three in particular were amazing and will be repeated in years to come, I'm sure.

Peach Cobbler Bars

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars

Check out these other bloggers for more great desserts:

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Best Main Dishes of 2019

Today is Main Dish day on the Countdown to 2020. I have lots of these to choose from: 2019 was a great year for me for making new main dishes and posting them. These are a few of my favorites; you'll see more later in the Reader's Favorites category. All of these meals are fantastic options for any weekday. And they were all devoured by my family, which is the ultimate endorsement.

I hope you try a few in the New Year and let me know what you think!


Banh Mi Tacos

Cheesy Taco Pasta

Sweet Potato, Brussels Sprouts and Chicken Sausage Sheet Pan Dinner

Mango Chicken Curry

Check out other great main dishes from other bloggers here:

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Best Breakfasts of 2019

It's the annual countdown to 2020 hosted by Sarah at Fantastical Sharing! For the next several days, we'll look back over the best recipes from different categories on this blog. Today, it's breakfasts.

Now, this year was unusual for me. I didn't post as regularly, and I also posted mostly main dishes! So some of these categories will be a little thin. But it's still fun to revisit and remind myself of all the delicious things we ate this year.

So, my two favorite recipes for breakfast/brunch this year were:

Monte Cristo Breakfast Bake

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Check out all the other bloggers posting their favorite breakasts:

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