Spicy Lentil Soup

I really hate cooking dinner.  I mean who doesn't HATE cooking dinner when you have 3 small children.  Who has time?  Well I finally found some recipes that are cheap and easy to make and don't take much time.  And by sharing them here, I hope to bring some "love" of cooking to others.  Plus I like to think they have a lot of good nutritional value in them too.  Most are gluten or wheat free too.

So this is soup, I know soup in the summer.  Ugh, but honestly here in the PNW it doesn't always get to hot so yeah, who cares?

This is adapted from a Rachel Ray Recipe.  But I think mine tastes 100% better, because it's SPICY.

What you'll need.

1 Pack of Andouille Sausage(where the POW! comes from)
4 cups chicken broth
(need extra?  add a cup of water!)
1/2 an onion(I'm not big on onion flavor, I don't add much, add more if you want to!)(approx 1/2 cup-3/4)
3 small garlic cloves
2 or so carrots

Fresh rosemary(ok who cares? Any Italian Seasoning will do!)(1 tsp should do, add more if you want)
1 cup lentils
(salt and pepper for taste if you want it)

If you total everything up for how much it costs here's the break down

Sausage $5 ish
1 box of 16 oz of chicken broth(8oz =1 cup) $4 ish
1 onion $1? Maybe?
3 small garlic cloves $.80 cents?  Maybe?
2 carrots  again maybe $1 or $2?
seasoning you may already have in your cupboard or else it's going to run you an additional $3 or so but I'm not including it here.
Lentils are $0.44 at WINCO here in bulk

Ok so that's less than $14 if you don't need to buy some Rosemary or Italian Seasoning.

Now how to make it.

Soak your lentils in water.

While that's soaking, pour your chicken broth into your pot.

Then chop your onion and garlic and carrot(peel carrot first).

Throw it into the pot.

Cut up your sausage, throw it in too.

Drain and rinse lentils, and throw them in too.

Cover and let sit for a few hours on low.  Great time to do this is when kids are napping or when an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is on.  You can have it all in the pot before it's over and cooking.

Then sit down and relax.

When carrots are cooked through, it's done, and from simmering in that pot the whole time, it's spicy, it will burn your nose.  It's so spicy.

Pour into bowl and devour....make sure you have something cold to take the edge off.  Or maybe it's not so spicy for you!  But to me, it burns.

I've experimented too with dumping more veggies into the pot.  Right now I have spinach in there, I think it will taste good.  I just took some frozen spinach and dumped it in too.  I wonder if celery would taste good too...haven't tried that yet.  But sweet peppers wasn't as good as I was hoping.  Experiment around with veggies in your fridge or left overs.  This soup only gets better!  And everyone loves it!  I converted my husband who HATED lentils and told me I was crazy for making it, and then he tried it and now it's one of his favorites.