Smokey Sausage and Lentil Soup

A hearty lentil soup made with Italian sausage.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 20 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (1 lb) bag lentils
• 10  cups  chicken stock, about 10 cup (I use chicken soup base for this, it's more cost effective. But that is your choice)
• 5  slices bacon
• 1  lb Italian sausage
• 5  stalks celery
• 1  big  softball sized onion, any type
• 5  medium carrots
• 1 (16 ounce) can tomatoes, diced. Preferably fire roasted
• 5  garlic cloves
•  red pepper flakes
•  black pepper
•  italian seasoning (or oregano, basil, thyme and rosemary)

Directions

1. Rinse your lentils very well and set aside.
2. Dice your vegetables and garlic. Nice, small and even dice.
3. Cook bacon. I do this in the oven, but it can be done in the pot as well. Just avoid excessive darkening as it makes a murky and bitter soup.
4. Cook sausage. I always do this in the pot itself.
5. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of fat. Chop and add cooked bacon, adding about a tablespoon of that fat as well.
6. Add the vegetables and soften about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the vegetables with seasonings, as desired.
7. Add the tomatoes.
8. Add the chicken broth, leaving about 2 inches to allow for the displacement caused by the lentils. Bring to a boil.
9. Add lentils, return to boil, then drop to simmer. Simmer on a medium low heat until lentils are tender and flavors blend.
10. I do not add salt until the very end, as it frequently isn't necessary. I top with parmesan cheese. This freezes beautifully, which is good as it makes a lot of soup.