What's For Supper?

When it gets cold like this...

and we have to insulate our mango tree,

and don our scarves...

we keep warm by moving around alot (aka wrestling)...

{no worries...no children were harmed in the making of this post}

and simmering up things like THIS for supper:

What's For Supper?

Sausage and Lentil Soup*

It is sooooo tasty. Try it. You'll see.

Gather these...


and a few other things...

Here's a complete list:

2 tbs olive oil

1 pound sausage -

{whatever kind you like. I use Uncle John's Pride pork sausage}

7 oz smoked ham, cubed

2 large onions, chopped

1 large yellow or green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium carrot, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 tsp dried thyme

1 bay leaf

8 to 9 cups chicken stock

One 16 oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 pound dried lentils (1 1/4 cups)

12 large fresh spinach leaves, cut into small pieces

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add sausage and cook until done. Remove sausage and place

on a platter, allowing time to cool.

When cool, slice sausage into 1/8 inch slices.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from pan.

Reheat drippings and add ham, onion, green pepper,

and carrot to the saucepan. Cover and cook over medium

heat for 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, thyme,

and bay leaf. Cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

Add chicken stock, sliced sausage, tomatoes, and lentils.

Cover and cook over low heat for 2 hours.

As soup cooks, skim off fat that rises to top.

After 2 hours turn off heat and discard bay leaf.

Add spinach, S & P and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

And Stay Warm!

*a Paula Deen recipe, that as usual, I tweak to suit.