Based on a recipe from Adam Roberts, this soup is the answer to how to stay warm and feel special during our long, gray, wet winters. It is very easy and reasonably inexpensive to prepare. Add to this the fact that it is really delicious, and you have a winner.

For a greater understanding of why we who live in the beautiful Pacific NW need soups like this one so desperately in our lives, please read my definitions of the various and numerous types of precipitation we experience on an almost daily basis:

Patti’s Perception of Precipitation – based on the novel Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Hoeg (great read by-the-way)

Misty Moisty – really just fog, but get’s you wet and cold none-the-less

Mist – more than fog, but less than sprinkle (also known as Oregon Mist except in Oregon where it’s referred to as Washington Mist)

Sprinkle – You don’t really need an umbrella, but wish you had one none-the-less

Drizzle – just goes on and on but really doesn’t affect the water table, just your mood

Chance of Rain – definitely carry your umbrella because you know there’s a good chance you’re going to get wet

Rain (aka – Standard Number 1 Wash) – relentless precipitation with no end in sight! Often accompanied by gray skies. (Renowned for driving newcomers out of their minds and/or out of state!)

Horizontal Rain – guaranteed to percolate inside all forms of outerwear!

Downpour – you are sure to get soaked between your car and the door to the grocery store

Le Deluge – you can count on a good soaking just getting out of your car!

Hail – pellets of frozen rain – you get beat up walking (don’t even think of running) from your car to the grocery store entrance

Sleet – pellets of ice often mixed with rain or snow – you get beat up and wet walking from your car to the grocery store entrance

Chance of Snow – the forecast that allows employees to leave work early, schools to consider sending our darlings home early, and sends most of the general public to the grocery store in a panic over possibly being house bound for 2-3 hours

Snow – atmospheric water vapor frozen into ice crystals and falling in light white flakes or lying on the ground as a white layer. FYI: Even the forecast of snow puts western Washington inhabitants on full alert. It doesn’t help that the threat of snow is always presented with a solemn countenance by our TV station authorities. Even the word “snow” can cause normally intelligent people to act in an irrational manner. And then there are the morons who feel they know all about driving in the snow. (They are the maniacs who truly believe that four wheel drive vehicles were designed to stop on a dime, even when the vehicle is traveling downhill!)

Some or All of the Above – (most common forecast) Just means that you need to carry an umbrella, make provisions for your children if they have to come home from school early, be prepared with an alternative commuting plan, go to the store the night before, have an extra supply of warm cloths at work, carry granola bars in your purse or backpack, and make sure your smart phone is fully charged.

Hopefully this has helped you understand more about the types of precipitation we experience in the Pacific NW. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to keep them to yourself. I am not a meteorologist; I have just lived in this area for a very long time and know enough to look outside if I really want to know what the weather is doing!

• ½ c. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, opt.
• 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper (not too much)
• 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, opt.
• 4 minced garlic cloves, divided
• 1 c. brown lentils, rinsed and drained
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 6 c. water
• 3 to 4 c. shredded or thinly sliced Swiss chard or kale leaves
• grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a large covered soup pot over medium heat. When hot, add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cooked until it is very brown. Remove half of the sausage and set aside. To the remaining sausage in the pan add the onion, celery, carrots, fennel, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook until the vegetables soften a bit, about 5 minutes. Add half of the garlic and cook for one minute or until the garlic releases its aroma. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a low boil, reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer gently until the lentils are tender, about 40 minutes. Stir periodically during cooking process. (It might be necessary to add more water if the soup gets too thick.) When the lentils are tender, add the chard and reserved Italian sausage. Adjust seasoning.

Cook for an additional 5-8 minutes or until the chard is soft.

Pour remaining ¼ cup olive oil in a small pan. Add remaining 2 garlic cloves and warm over medium heat until the garlic sizzles and softens.

Remove from heat. Serve soup in individual bowls drizzled with a small amount of the hot oil and a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese. Wonderful served with baguette slices that have been buttered, sprinkled with granulated garlic and dried oregano and toasted for about 6-8 minutes in a 400 degree oven.