Lentil Soup with Spicy Sausage and Kale

Pinterest strikes again!

I'm soooo loving this hearty soup I found. It was just what the doctor ordered on a freakin' cold, windy winter day. One where the high was 37 degrees, and the sun didn't peek out once. Not even once.

Truly a one-pot meal, this soup has everything and the kitchen sink in it. Lentils, sausage, and kale (uh, duh). Carrots, onions, celery, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and Parmesan cheese. Protein, fiber, and 175% of your daily value of Vitamin A. Served piping hot, and filling your house with a savory aroma as it simmers. But to take it really over the top? Warm, crusty french bread served on the side.

Yes, please! Sign me up. An added bonus: the leftovers are even more out-of-this-world amazing :)

Ingredients:

3 links hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
4 garlic cloves minced
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup brown lentils
1-2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 bay leaves
3-4 cups kale, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, minced
Parmesan Reggiano cheese, shredded (for topping)

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Remove casings from sausage, and when the pot is hot add sausage to pot. Brown sausages on each side, about 2 minutes each. Stir to crumble. Cook until all sausage is browned.
2. Add onions through garlic to the pot. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes through bay leaves to the pot. Add more salt and pepper if needed, to taste. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 40 minutes, or until lentils are tender.
4. Add kale to the pot. Simmer for 8 more minutes, or until kale is tender. Turn off heat, and stir in parsley.
5. Ladle soup into bowls, and top with the shredded Parmesan Reggiano.

*Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen*