Spicy Lentil, "Kale" & Sausage Soup

It is FREEZING outside today and what a better way to warm up our insides than with a hot bowl of soup.  I wanted to try something a little different than my usual.  I wanted a break from my yummy Lentil and Chickpea "stew" so I found a tasty recipe in this month's Chatelaine.  I had most of the ingredients, but I still ended up substituting quite a few.  Nothing like making it truly your own right from the beginning!

Lentil, "Kale" & Sausage Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Italian sausages (you can omit this if you want vegetarian version.  Everyone else likes sausage but me so I ate it without the sausage.  I gave my pieces to Mac)

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 leek (white and light green parts only), sliced

3 - 4 carrots, thinly sliced

2 -3 large garlic cloves, minced

156 mL can tomato paste with garlic

1 tsp Italian spice (I used a mixture I picked up in Florence a couple of years ago.  Its spicey!)

1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt

8 cups  "kale," about one small bunch (I couldn't find any at the market, so I used green chard.  You could use spinach, too)

540 mL can lentils, rinsed and drained

4 cups water

grated cheese, ie. parmesan

HEAT a large, wide saucepan over medium.  Add a little oil and then the sausages.  Cook the sausages until they are no longer pink.  (You can even crisp it up a little, too.  Barbecued would be amazing!)  Remove to a plate.

Heat a little more oil in the pan.  Then add onion, leeks, carrot and garlic.  Cook until the onion is soft, about 3 -5 mins.  Add the tomato paste and spice.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the sausage and add back to the pan.  

Cook for 5 mins, stirring frequently.

Pour in 4 cups of water.  Bring to a boil.

Add "kale" and lentils.  Stir and reduce to cook on medium.  Cover and boil gently, until "kale" is tender, about 7 -10 minutes.  (If soup is too thick, just a add more water.)

Ladle soup into bowls.  Sprinkle with (parmesan) cheese.  Serve immediately.

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Let me tell you, it is full of flavour and very spicy.  So good! And it warmed us up tremendously, too!