lentil, garlic, and chard soup (vegetarian, gluten-free)
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 7 oz veggie sausage (I used lightlife gimme lean sausage*), cut into 1 inch pieces
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 stalks of celery, sliced
  • 2 carrots, scrubbed and diced or cut into half moons if they're on the smaller side
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
  • 4-5 cups vegetable broth (imagine brand is my favorite if I don't have homemade on hand)
  • 1 cup lentils, I used a sprouted lentil blend but brown or green lentils will work perfectly here
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoons fresh chopped sage
  • pinch fresh thyme
  • ground pepper
  • 2 cups chard, thinly ribboned
  • chopped parsley, grated asagio cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds for serving, optional
Instructions
  1. Heat ¼ cup oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. When the oil is hot, add the veggie sausage and brown, breaking up the pieces with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  3. When the sausage has browned, add the onion, celery, and carrots, salt, red pepper flakes and, stirring occasionally, cook until they are just tender. Add the garlic and stir, cooking until fragrant.
  4. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking for a minute or two.
  5. Add the crushed tomatoes and 4 cups of broth, stir, and add the bay leaves, sage, and thyme.
  6. Bring the soup to a boil then cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. If the soup is thickening too quickly, add another cup of broth.
  7. Transfer a few cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, then stir back into the pot **
  8. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed
  9. Just before you're ready to serve the soup, stir in the chard. If you plan on having soup leftover you can also stir it into individual bowls, which is my preference.
  10. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley, asagio cheese, and toasted pumpkin seeds.
  11. *lightlife veggie sausage does contain soy sauce so is not completely gluten-free, in case you have a severe intolerance/allergy
  12. **If you are cooking outdoors use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to mash and stir the soup until it's a little creamier (this step is optional)
Recipe by oh honey bakes at https://ohhoneybakes.com/campfire-meal/