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It’s cold outside and all I am craving is some yummy soul warming soup. Lentils are one of my favorite legumes to cook. I have used lentils to make veggie burgers, hearty salads, and yes, soup. Now, here’s the deal my husband is from New Orleans and creole and Cajun recipes flow through this house almost every day. I love my food to be full of flavor and not loads of salt. This dish is seasoned by the cajun sausage and some Old Bay seasoning. There is so much flavor in the sausage, you don’t need to use a lot of the old bay or salt, to get the perfect balance of flavor. I added some thyme and bay leaf and it’s the bees knees. I love the serve this dish with French bread and glass of pinot noir. You can also use plant based sausage, FieldRoast has a spicy sausage that would go well with this, or you can use a full pork or chicken cajun sausage, if you prefer. If you use the plant based sausage, brown up the sausage separately and toss it in a few minutes before the soup is done. Plant based sausage is just that, plants, so it can crumble easily. This is an excellent winter month soup. I truly believe this will warm you and your family up on those cold winter nights and as always, remember to Set the Table with Love.

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 cups low sodium organic chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups dried French green lentils
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup celery, chopped
• `1/3 cup onions, chopped
• 1/3 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 cajun sausage links, halved and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 fresh thyme leaves
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon Old
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook French lentils according to packaging. Once cooked, drain and set aside. Do not overcook, this will leave your lentils mushy remember they will cook for another 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a dutch oven or pot, over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery. Sauté until onions are slightly translucent and celery and carrots are slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes. They will continue to cook in the last 15 minutes.
3. Add sausage and sauté until the sausage is lightly browned, then stir in thyme, and Old Bay seasoning. Add lentils and chicken broth, stirring and mixing the broth into the soup to deglaze the pan. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Cover and simmer for about 15- 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Remove the bay leaf, bowl and Enjoy!