About 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 turkey sausage (regular or hot flavor)
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 stick celery
1 red bell pepper (core & seeds removed)
1 cup cubed carrots
2 cups dry lentils
48 Fl. oz vegetable broth
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
4 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste
Parmesan cheese (topping)
Instructions:
Mince onion, garlic, celery, and red bell pepper. Cut turkey sausage into small 1 inch pieces. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot and on medium heat, cook turkey sausage until lightly browned. Add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the onion, garlic, celery and bell pepper. Saute on medium heat until softened, about 8 minutes.
Add the carrots and lentils to pot and cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Add broth, tomatoes, sherry and spices, cover and simmer until lentils and carrots are softened, about 30 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
Cooking Tips:
You can use green, red or any color of lentils. Unlike other pulses, lentils do not need to be pre-soaked and cook in less than 30 minutes. We love truRoots Sprouted Green Lentils which are organic and non-GMO.
For vegetarians, the soup can be prepared by eliminating the turkey sausage. Just keep in mind that the sausage adds flavor to the soup.
David H. Rahm, M.D. is the founder and medical director of The Wellness Center, a medical clinic located in Long Beach, CA. Dr. Rahm is also president and medical director of VitaMedica. Dr. Rahm is one of a select group of conventional medical doctors who have education and expertise in functional medicine and nutritional science. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Rahm has published articles in the plastic surgery literature and educated physicians about the importance of good peri-operative nutrition.
