Sausage and Lentil Soup

I found this recipe at The Joy of Soup website. It is very similar to Carrabba's Sausage and Lentil soup. It was so good I just had to share. I put the veggies all in the food processor and diced the fine. Everything was about the size of the lentil

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

• 1  large carrot
• 2  stalks celery
• 1  large onion
• 2  garlic cloves
• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  lb hot Italian sausage
• 8  cups chicken broth
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2  cups dried lentils
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 3⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon thyme
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1  bay leaf

Directions

1. Dice the first four ingredients and sauté them in a large pot with the oil. Sauté until tender.
2. Remove vegetables from the pan and add the Italian sausage, removed from the casing, to the pan. Brown then drain off fat.
3. Pour 8 cups for chicken broth, the vegetables back into the pot.
4. Add tomatoes and lentils.
5. Add remaining ingredients.
6. Simmer until the lentils are tender, 30-45 minutes.
7. Remove 1/3 of the soup and puree. then return it to the pot.
8. Correct the seasonings and remove bay leaf.