SPICY SAUSAGE, BEAN / LENTIL, AND TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tsp. olive oil, add chopped onion and celery and saute until it's just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute 1 minute more, then add red pepper flakes, dried thyme, dried oregano, and ground fennel seed and saute 1 minute more. Cook beans / lentils separately with combo of water and chicken broth. When tender add onions. Add the rest of the chicken stock, diced tomatoes and juice, and bay leaves to the soup pot. Heat soup until it's barely boiling, then reduce heat. Add 2 tsp. more olive oil to pan that had onions, squeeze turkey sausage out of casings and saute until the sausage is nicely browned, breaking it apart with a metal turner as it cooks. (You may need a bit more olive oil if you don't use a non-stick pan.) Add browned sausage to soup pot, then deglaze the pan with 2 cups of the chicken stock, scraping the browned sausage bits off the bottom of the pan, and add that to soup pot. When lentils are soft, remove about 1/3 of soup mixture and use an immersion blender, food processor, or blender to puree the mixture until it's very smooth, about 2 minutes. (Be very careful with the hot soup if you use a food processor or blender.) Taste soup, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley if desired. This soup freezes well, so you might want to make a double batch and freeze some for lunches to take to work.