Loving Lentils

I’ve been getting in the soup mood lately. It’s been a bit chilly here in Florida. In fact, while we were in Michigan a few weeks ago, Little Miss Sunshine started insisting, “I WANT TO GO BACK TO FLORIDA WHERE IT’S WARMER!!” When we arrived back in Florida, we had some 55 degree days and were dressing the same as we were in Michigan (and Little Miss kept telling me – TOO MANY CLOTHES!!) Little Miss was rather unhappy with this situation and kept asking me “WHY IS IT COLD IN FLORIDA???? IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE COLD IN FLORIDA!! ONLY MICHIGAN!!!!!”

Trust me, I don’t mind the cool spells. So the other night I was in the mood for soup and pulled out a bag of lentils. If you haven’t ever tried lentils, you really should. Unlike beans, they don’t require soaking or hours of cooking. In a little over a half hour, you can have a delicious, hearty, healthy soup. T-Rex and Little Miss devoured this soup and asked for leftovers at lunch the next day. Enjoy!

from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook
Lentil Soup

1 cup dry lentils, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 cup sliced carrots (2 medium)
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
2 teaspoons instant chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons snipped fresh sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (I didn’t use this)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounces fully cooked smoked sausage links, quartered lengthwise and sliced (I used fully cooked turkey ham diced)

In a large pot mix lentils, sweet pepper, carrots, onion, boullion granules, sage, ground red pepper, garlic, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Stir in sausage and heat through. Makes about 7 cups (5 main dish servings).