Hearty Lentil Sausage Soup

Doesn't December always feel like the busiest month in the year?  Every weekend is always jam-packed with fun plans and activities.  This weekend was no different.  On Friday night, Bret and I strolled around downtown Andover for the Andover's Holiday Happenings.  On Saturday, we drove down to Connecticut to visit my friends Gen, Matt and their adorable baby daughter before heading to MGM Grand at Foxwoods for dinner at Craftsteak and to see Jerry Seinfeld perform.  By the time we came home on Sunday, after a long walk and an afternoon of football, I was ready to seriously unwind.  Thankfully my hearty lentil sausage soup was worth slowing down for.

I had planned on making this soup before we left on Saturday so I took out a package of mild Italian sausage from the freezer and soaked two cups of lentils overnight.  On Sunday afternoon, I gathered the rest of my ingredients:

• 5 mild Italian pork sausages
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 6-7 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups of lentils, soaked overnight
• 32 oz of chicken broth
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes with basil
• Cayenne, to taste
• Chili powder, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste

I started out by browning my sausages in a nonstick pan with a splash of vegetable oil and half a cup of water. 

While the sausages were cooking, I warmed up the Dutch oven with a splash of olive oil and cooked the chopped onion and minced garlic until the onion was soft and the garlic was browned.

By this time, the sausages had a gorgeous brown color and I set them aside to cool before slicing them up.

While the sausages were cooling, I drained and rinsed the soaked lentils.

I added the lentils along with a cup of chicken broth to the pan and let all of the great flavors come together.

After about fifteen minutes, I added the crushed tomatoes and the rest of the chicken broth to the pot.

I sliced up the sausages and added them to the soup.

I seasoned the soup with salt, pepper, cayenne and chili powder and let the soup simmer for two hours on low.  During this time, the lentils softened and broke down, which made the soup wonderfully thick and hearty.

Bret and I slowly indulged in a bowl (or two) of this soup while we unwound from the weekend.  This soup also helped cut down on our meal prep for the rest of the week.  This batch of soup was enough for several lunches and dinners. 

Tell me, what hearty dishes did you cook up this past weekend?