Sausage and Lentil Soup

I have become really obsessed with Sausage. Which is weird since I wouldnt have eaten it maybe 5 short years ago. I had only ever seen it in big hunks with peppers and onions. I will admit, I still dont like biting into a big link. The texture is too much for me. But if you crumble it I will be the happiest girl at the table. I had a recipe a million years ago for a copycat soup from Carrabba's for their spicy sausage and lentil soup. I loved that soup and I feel it helped me cultivate my love of sausage. Of course I lost the recipe and tried to find copycat recipes that I thought sounded like their version. This version NAILS it. It does take a little time, so it isnt something you can just decide on the fly to make, but oh man, it is so good.

I used spicy sausage this time around and has a fair amount of heat the 1st serving. I feel like the flavor mellowed out nicely in the leftovers I ate for the rest of the week. I didnt know what I was making this week for dinner, and I am adding this to my shopping list. Its a repeat I am totally ready to eat again

Sausage and Lentil Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound green lentils ( i dont know what these are, I just bought a bag of goya dried lentils)

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 lb ground Italian sausage (You can also use ground Italian turkey sausage spicy or sweet)

1 cup diced onion (about 1 large)

1 ½ cups diced celery (about 4 stalks)

1 ½ cups diced carrots (about 3-2 large)

1 ½ cup diced zucchini (about 1 small)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

6 cups chicken broth

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

grated Parmesan

fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

2. In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add in the Italian sausage. Brown the sausage until it is cooked through.

3. Add in the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, garlic, herbs and spices, cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often.

4. Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed to adjust the consistency of the soup. We tend to prefer ours a little on the thick side, so I add in about 3 cups half way through the cook time.

6. Check the seasonings – add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley.