Hearty Sausage and Red Lentil Soup

With the temperatures beginning to cool off, the warmth of a good hearty soup fills the need for dinner. Serve with some hot biscuits or homemade bread along with a green salad and you've got a full meal.
To be honest, many nights we skip the salad and just serve it with bread. Since the soup is packed with lots of veggies you can know your nutritional needs are met.

If you are one of the wise ones who has dehydrated vegetables on hand, you could easily turn this into a mix. Combine ¼ cup dried onions, ¼ cup dried celery, ½ cup dried carrots, 2 tsp dried garlic, 1 lb red lentils, 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon, 2 bay leaves, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried basil, and 1 tsp dried parsley in a ziplock bag. When ready to make, pour mix into soup pot and add sausage, water, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes. Simmer until all vegetables and lentils are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. I love having a few soup mixes waiting in the pantry for a busy day. Life seems much easier to tackle when dinner is already figured out.

Hearty Sausage and Red Lentil Soup

½ lb pork sausage, browned

1 large onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1½ cups sliced carrots

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb dry red lentils

1 Tbsp chicken bouillon

7 cups water

1 (8oz) can tomato sauce

1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Additional water, if desired

Shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a stock pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes until vegetables and lentils are tender. Add additional water if more broth is desired. Serve with a bit of shredded cheese for garnish.