Soup's On

Fall is definitely the time of year for soup. A grey, rainy day is the ideal day for soup. Lentil soup is the perfect healthy choice to make, and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Lentil Sausage Soup (serves 8)

3 links Aidell's Roasted Red Pepper and Corn Chicken Sausage
1 large onion, chopped
2 large or 3 medium carrots, sliced
2 cups dry lentils, rinsed
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 T Italian Seasoning
1/2 t powdered red pepper (I use House Shichimi Togarashi Red Pepper)
1 bay leaf
1/2 t fennel seeds
1 can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken stock
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 T olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

Heat dutch oven over medium high heat. Add olive oil. Slice the sausage links into rounds 1/4 " thick and add to pan to brown.

Peel and slice carrots and chop onion. (I didn't have fresh onion so I used dehydrated onion bits reconstituted in water) Peel and slice garlic cloves.

When sausage is browned add the carrots, onion, garlic, lentils and the herbs and spices to the pan. Saute for a minute.



Add the can of diced tomatoes with their juice and the balsamic vinegar to the pan. Stir.



Finally, pour in the chicken stock and stir.



Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until the lentils are tender. Add water if soup is getting too thick. If you like, you can use an immersion blender to create a smoother textured soup.



This soup really hits the spot...