Sausage & Lentil Soup

I love soups and stews when the weather is cold and gloomy.  This fall here in Kentucky has been gloomy on and off, and nicely cool most every day.  I'm still getting my feel for lentils, and I ran into this recipe that promised it was a healthy soup.  I ended up tweaking it a bit which moves it a bit from the soup family to the stew family, but it's still nice all the same.  It's a very filling meal, and you'll end up with leftovers if you're making it for two.

I highly recommend using your own homemade chicken stock to pump up the health factor as well as the deliciousness.  Using your own broth also means you'll save money on the recipe.  You can potentially use less cook time here, but I like a longer simmer to get the flavors really married well to the other ingredients.

Sausage & Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 green onions - chopped
• 2 celery ribs - diced
• 1 pound lean smoked sausage (I used turkey)
• 2 medium carrots - chopped
• 3 garlic cloves - minced
• 24 to 28 oz of chicken broth - reduced sodium
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup lentils - rinsed
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 1 cup frozen cut spinach

Directions:

1. Lightly spray a large pot with cooking oil (you can also add a touch of rendered bacon fat if you want to up the flavor and aren't worried as much about the health side of things).  Add the green onions, celery, garlic, and sausage to the pot.  Cook on medium heat for about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and cook about 3 minutes longer until the celery is tender and the garlic golden.
3. Stir in the broth, water, lentils, and dry seasonings.  Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer.  Allow to cook 30 to 35 minutes, or until carrots and lentils are tender.
4. Stir in tomatoes, spinach, and Worcestershire sauce.  Cook for another 10 minutes.

Serves 4 to 6