Lentil Soup
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Description:

A hearty, sometimes vegetarian soup made with red lentils.  Adapted from Cooking With Carole and dedicated to Jayne Veld.


Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups rinsed in strainerred lentils
3 diced             medium yellow onions
1 head chopped with leavescelery
1 and 1/2 cups      high quality olive oil
to taste            salt
1 lbs browned       chicken mild italian sausage
1-28 ounce can      pureed tomatoes
1 cup               kale chopped in approx. 1/2" squares


Instructions:

Put rinced lentils in sauce pan with 3" of water covering.  Turn on heat to medium-low and stir every few minutes.  Wash onions and celery.  Chop into the size your family likes for soup--usually very small for younger kids and larger for older.  In a large soup pot, sautee onions and celery with 1/2 t salt until warmed but still a bit al dente (undercooked).  Add lentils to onions and celery.  Add one can of pureed tomatoes and 1 t salt.  Bring soup to a soft boil and turn down to a low simmer.  Skim off any foam.  If necessary, add chicken broth, additional tomato puree or water to get desired consistency.  Taste for salt.  You will need more than you think--start with adding 1 t and then adjust by 1/4-1/2 t to reach desired taste.  Before serving, add optional sausage, kale and olive oil and stir.  Continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring to encourage oil to mix in with soup.  Do not add sausage to simmer or the flavor will cook out.

Serve with organic corn chips.

Option:  Add 1-2 cups chopped kale during last few minutes of cooking.