"Centsible Soups" Part 1- Chicken Sausage and Lentil Stew

Fall is the perfect time for soup. The weather is getting chilly and a warm bowl of healthy, filling soup is the perfect end to a good day around here. Not to mention it is easy to use with a crock-pot and not much makes me happier than easy meal prep and freezing left-overs from a doubled recipe to save for another day. Or if the hubs is 'lucky' he gets some leftovers the next day, too. 

I didn't make much soup while single because there was only one of me, and I didn't want to eat soup for days on end. Nick ate soup straight from a can, but we are committed to not doing that due to sodium levels, some completely crazy ingredients, and the BPA in the can. So, this is where this blog series comes in. I thought it would be lots of fun to try out several new soup recipes over the next several weeks, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, those for the crock-pot and those for the stove top. Blogging about these successes and failures is a way to keep me accountable, to keep me trying new soups.

Lentil and Chicken Sausage Stew  

1 carton (32 oz) reduced-sodium chicken broth (or frozen homemade stock)

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

3 fully cooked spicy chicken sausage links (3 oz each), cut into 1/2 in slices

1 cup dried lentils 

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp dried thyme

Combine the ingredients in a 4-5 qt slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or until lentils are tender.

Photo courtesy of simple-nourished-living.com

My thoughts? I would make it again, but I am hopeful that we find some we like even more. It seemed a tiny bit bland and Nick agreed. I think it is because I substituted the spicy chicken for turkey sausage instead (which does not go with my no foods with hydrogenated oils in them, but it is the last thing on hand). The turkey wasn't spicy, and I didn't add it until after work so the flavors weren't 'mixing' quite as long. I had never made a lentil stew or soup before and was pleased that I liked the taste and texture. These provide lots of healthy fiber! I did not add the celery since I didn't have any, and I used frozen cut carrots instead (just guessed on the amount). I also used frozen chopped onions from Kroger, so this meal was easy to prep. Open a few cans, snip a few bags, dump, measure, cut, and voila dinner at the end of the day! 

Original recipe from Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking Magazine Oct/Nov '11

Nutrition Facts: 
Serving Size: 1.5 cups
231 calories, 4 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 33 mg cholesterol, 803 mg sodium, 31 grams carbs, 13 grams fiber, 19 grams protein
Diabetic exchange: 2 lean meat, 2 vegetable, 1 starch