Good Morning!

One of our favorite soups is lentil soup. It is a hearty soup that is healthy and delicious and when it is paired with grilled chicken spinach sausage it becomes quite a substantial dish.

This dish is wonderful for a cool Autumn evening or a Sunday afternoon served with crusty, warm French bread.

Enjoy!
gina

HEARTY LENTIL SOUP WITH GRILLED CHICKEN SPINACH SAUSAGE
serves 8

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large Vidalia onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and fined cubed
2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
8 cups chicken broth
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 lb. chicken spinach sausage
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a large pot, add onions and saute until limp. Add carrots and celery and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

Add lentils, broth, tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. parsley, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 40 minutes or until lentils are soft. Remove bay leaf.

Meanwhile while soup is cooking, lightly grease a pan and place the sausages in and lightly brown. Remove them and let them cool slightly, then cut into slices. Set aside.

When soup is done, blend with a hand blender until it is roughly blend, You want to see some of the lentils...Add the sausage slices, the rest of the parsley, balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls alongside with crusty French bread.