Ham Sausage & Lentil Soup

Total Time: 2 hrs 1 min Preparation Time: 1 min Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb garlic flavored sausage, like kielbasa
• 7 ounces smoked ham, finely chopped
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 large green pepper, seeded & finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried crumbled thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 -9 cups chicken stock or 8 -9 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 (1 lb) can peeled tomato
• 1/2-3/4 lb dried lentils (depending on desired thickness)
• 12 large spinach leaves, washed, trimmed & finely shredded

Recipe

• 1 heat oil in 6-8 quart saucepan over medium heat. add sausage and cook until almost all fat is rendered.
• 2 transfer sausage to platter and drain off all but 2 tablespoons grease from saucepan.
• 3 add ham, onion, green pepper and carrot. cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 4 stir in the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and cumin.
• 5 cover and cook 5 minutes.
• 6 while that's cooking, thinly slice sausage; add to pan with chicken stock, tomatoes and lentils.
• 7 reduce heat to low. cover partially and simmer gently until lentils begin dissolve, about 2 hours.
• 8 (can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated, or frozen for several months.).
• 9 discard any fat from the surface, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• 10 simmer just until warmed through, then add spinach.
• 11 serve while warm.