Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale

Aren’t cozy Sundays wonderful? Waking up without an alarm and enjoying a cup of coffee in your pajamas. On days like this, being in the kitchen can be so much fun. There is no schedule and you have the time to make whatever you are in the mood for. Today the weather calls for a warming bowl of Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale.

Making A Big Pot of Soup For Easy Weeknight Meals

I love to make a big pot of soup on the weekend. The family will usually have it for lunch and dinner. This make it easier to relax and get to bed a little earlier on Sunday evening. Plus there is usually some leftover for a weeknight meal. You can stretch it further by serving it over rice. During life’s busy season, anything we can do to simplify things helps.

Customizing Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale

Depending on the type of sausage and how much cayenne pepper you use, it can spicy. You can easily cut the heat back with omitting the cayenne pepper and using half sausage and half ground beef. I used red lentils for this recipe but brown lentils will work well also.

Recipe

• 1 medium diced onion
• 2-3 diced garlic cloves (I used three)
• 2 diced celery stalks
• 2 diced large carrots
• 2 tablespoons fat (lard, olive or coconut oil)
• 1 pound bulk sausage
• 2 heaping tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 quart of chicken broth
• 1 quart water (4 cups)
• 1- 1 pound package of lentils
• 1 pint of diced tomatoes
• 2 medium peeled and cubed sweet potatoes
• 4 cups chopped kale (frozen works too)
• 1-2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 tsp crushed cayenne pepper
• 1-2 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon sage

1. Using a heaving bottom pot add fat and heat. When hot, saute onion and garlic.
2. Once translucent add in celery and carrots. Stir for a few minutes until carrots have softened.
3. Crumble in sausage, breaking up any big chunks.
4. Next it’s the tomato paste. After you have mixed that in, pour in the chicken broth and water.
5. Now add the lentils and seasoning. Let that cook for 10 minutes.
6. Dump in the sweet potatoes and kale.
7. Cook for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes are soft and the lentils are cooked.