Spicy Sausage, Lentil, and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. + 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped small
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried Greek or Turkish oregano
• 1 tsp. ground fennel seed
• 5 links hot turkey Italian Sausage
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 3 cans petite dice tomatoes with juice
• 1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Warm 2 tsp. olive oil in a pan, then add the chopped onion and celery. Cook, stirring now and then, until the vegetables begin to take on a little color, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, then add the red pepper flakes, dried thyme, dried oregano, and ground fennel seed and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer the onion mixture to a large soup pot.
2. Pour in 2 tsp. more olive oil. Press the turkey sausage out of the casings into the pan and cook until well browned, using a metal turner to crumble it as it cooks. If your pan is not nonstick, you may need a little more olive oil.
3. Spoon the browned sausage into the soup pot. Pour 2 cups of the chicken stock into the pan and stir up the browned sausage bits from the bottom, then add that liquid to the soup pot too.
4. Add the remaining chicken stock, the diced tomatoes with their juice, the dried lentils, and the bay leaves to the soup pot. Bring the soup just to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 1 hour, until a lentil is tender when you bite it.
5. Once the lentils are soft, take out about 1/3 of the soup and puree it with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Use extra care with the hot soup if you are using a food processor or blender.
6. Stir the pureed soup back into the pot. Continue simmering over low heat for 30-45 minutes more, until the soup has thickened to your liking. It will become thicker the longer it cooks.
7. Taste and add salt and fresh ground black pepper as needed. Serve hot, with chopped parsley on top if you like.