16 oz. lean smoked turkey sausage, sliced and quartered (like Jennie-O)
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, diced
4 cups fat-free chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tsp salt (if you are at all sensitive to salt, this is totally unnecessary)
½ tsp black pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper
1 dash cumin
1 dash garlic powder
2 bay leaves
1 Tbs fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
In a medium sized stock pot, sautee the sausage until it is browned and fragrant. Remove sausage and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot. Saute the onion in the same pot used for the sausage for 3-5 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic and saute an additional minute.
Add the water to deglaze the pot, making sure to scrape up any browned bits that remain. Add the broth, lentils, and seasonings. Bring pot to a boil. Add the sausage, carrot and celery, place a lid on the pot, and simmer for 35-45 minutes, or until lentils and vegetables are tender. Serve.
Notes
If you don’t care about points and calories, and want a little kick, use andouille instead of smoked turkey sausage!
Recipe by The Taste Place at https://www.thetasteplace.com/smoked-sausage-and-lentil-soup/