Lentil & Sausage Soup

My neighbor one day asked if I had ever tried Lentils. I had no clue what Lentils were and had never heard of them. After looking at some things and then trying them once she made them, they were very good and plus they are healthy :)

Thanks to BestCooking.net, I found a recipe for Lentil and Sausage Soup. Although I forgot to add the pasta into the mix, it was still very good. I also made this into a crock pot meal instead of cooking it on the stove top!

This recipe made way to much for 3 of us so I would defintely cut it down unless you are feeding lots of people because you get full fast.

Use your best judgement on seasonings because I always just put on here what the recipe calls for, but of course, I don't measure seasonings out.

The picture doesn't look that appealing, but I promise it is good!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage

1 large onion; chopped

1 stalk celery; finely chopped

1 tbsp. Garlic; chopped

1 (16 oz.) package dry Lentils; rinsed

1 cup shredded carrot (I just chopped mine)

2 cups water

2 cans chicken broth

1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. fresh parsley; chopped

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 lb. ditalini pasta

 

What To Do (Stove Top Directions):

1. Place sausage in a large pot & cook until brown
2. Add onion, celery and garlic to pot and saute until tender
3. Stir in Lentils, carrot, chicken broth, water and tomatoes
4. Season with garlic powder, parsley, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, basil, salt and pepper
5. Bring to a boil then reduce heat
6. Cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours
7. Remove bay leaves before adding pasta
8. 15-20 minutes before it's done, stir in pasta and cook until tender

 

What To Do (Crock Pot Directions):

1. In a pot, cook sausage over medium heat until browned
2. Add onion, celery and garlic to pot and saute until tender
3. Once meat is browned and vegetables are tender, add to crock pot
4. Next stir in the remaining ingredients except for the bay leaves
5. Place the bay leaves on top and cover crock pot
6. Cook on low for 8 hours
7. *If you want the pasta, I would cook it in a pot and then drain and add to the soup