Soup for the Winter Soul

Our winter here in Kentucky has been unusually cold and snowy.  As a result, soups have been very popular in our home!  Thursday's 'Bean and Pasta Art' made me think of a yummy recipe that I discovered last summer while on vacation in Florida.  We took dad to Carraba's for Father's Day and my son ordered this wonderful soup with his dinner.  He loved it so much he begged to go back again & again.  So I went online in search for something similar and came up with a this recipe.  He says it tastes just the same.  We have now added it to our winter soup rotation.

Sausage & Lentil Soup

You can use whatever sausage you prefer.  I have tried it with Italian turkey sausage and it is delish!  I usually heat up a loaf of crusty Italian bread, slice it and quickly toast with a little shredded gruyere cheese on top.  The beans, veggies and meat make this a hearty meal.

Ingredients

• 1 pound Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup kale, finely chopped
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups dry lentils
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp basil
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1/4 tsp parsley
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• grated parmesan cheese

Brown the sausage and drain off the fat.  In a large pot combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low and cover.  Simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until lentils & vegetables are tender.  Add water if necessary.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese.

From the original recipe here http://www.food.com/recipe/carrabbas-sausage-and-lentil-soup-162864  I omitted the diced tomatoes because they hurt my husband's stomach.  I added the kale as a sneaky way to incorporate it into my kids diet.  I usually add at least a cup of kale to all my soups and they never know.  I wash it well, remove any tough stems and them quickly chop it in the Magic Bullet blender on pulse.  Healthy and tasty!