It was cool this morning. In the South we feel the cold so much more than in the North. I lived up North for some time in Illinois. I remember coming home and it was so warm here and everyone was carrying on about how cold it was. I remember thinking that it wasn't cold at all. In fact it felt very warm. I was going around without a coat on and do you know that I caught a chill and ended up with a cold. So much for it being warm I decided that a pot full of soup was called for. I had a bag of Lentils that were ready to be made into soup.
Lentil Soup is very good as a vegan meal but today I decided I needed a little meat. I had a half pound of sausage that seemed to fit the bill. However, if you prefer vegan just leave out the meat and substitute vege broth for some of the water. Still delicious.
Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
3 Tbls. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. Hot Sausage (Use anything you have)
1 cup onions (I use sweet vadalia's and keep them chopped up and frozen in my freezer)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2cup chopped carrots
1 Tsp. garlic power (or fresh garlic or minced garlic - whatever you have on hand)
1 tsp sea salt or to taste
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. black pepper - or to taste
1 14-15 oz can of diced tomatoes (I usually use my organic frozen tomatoes)
1 bag lentils - washed and cleaned
5 to 8 cups of water
In a large size soup pot put in olive oil and bring to a simmer. Add in sausage, onions, celery, carrots and brown until sausage is done - Add in seasonings and tomatoes - Continue to saute on low until vegetables are beginning to get tenderize - Add in washed and cleaned lentils along with 5 to 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil reduce heat and cook for about 30 go 45 minutes. I usually use 8 cups of water and let it cook for 45 minutes to make sure the lentils are nice and tender.
I served this with a fresh salad and my GF/Low GI corn fritters. Big hit with the family today. Enjoy.
