Sausage and Lentil Soup | Salad | Fresh Bread

Okay so here is my version that has morphed many times. It used to be just a sausage and pasta soup until I found pre-cooked lentils at Trader Joe's. And went on a search for ways to incorporate them in our meals. Lentils are awesome! They absorb flavors well and are great for non-bean lovers. They have a ton of fiber and vitamin B. I add the prepared lentils to many dishes, they are great to have on hand.

The good thing about soup is that you can use what you have. As long as you get the base right the rest usually falls in line.

Sausage and lentil soup
adapted from for the love of cooking

• Olive oil (enough to give a light coat to the pan)
• 1lb of sweet italian sausage (you can use spicy if you like a kick!)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3-4 carrots, diced
• 2-3 celery stalks, diced
• 1-15 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1 box of steamed lentils (Trader Joe's sells them in the produce section)
• 1/2 tsp or to taste dried basil and dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tblsp chicken bullion 
• 2- 32oz cartons of chicken broth (if you have homemade it's better)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat and brown the sausage. Pull aside and let cool a little. Meanwhile, add the onion to the pot and saute for a couple minutes, then add the carrot, celery and garlic. Saute for 2 more minutes. Now add tomatoes, lentils, basil, oregano, red pepper and a bay leaf. Stir. Add the chicken broth and bullion. Remember that sausage? Chop up the partially cooked sausage and add to the pot. Cover and let simmer for an 1-2 hours.

At the end salt and pepper to taste. You can use an immersion blender to blend it up a little, I don't have one so I use a mashed potato masher at the end to make it a little thicker. Instead of making it thicker you can also add fresh spinach right at the end which will give you an extra veggie boost!

Do you have a favorite soup recipe?