Curried Lentil Soup

This has quickly become one of my favorite soups.  And I think I could easily call it my very favorite healthy soup.  I love that this is full of lentils, beans, and vegetables with no heavy cream.  (Not that I'm against soups with heavy cream every once in a while.)  The toasted almonds add so much flavor and a yummy crunch, and I love the sweetness of the dried cranberries with the curry flavor. 

I've used red lentils when making this, and I would continue to steer away from the larger brown lentils for this soup.  I prefer this soup without the sausage, but my husband does not see the sausage as optional.  The soup pictured above has thickened a bit due to sitting in the fridge as leftovers.  It's delicious the first time around or as leftovers though.

Curried Lentil Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 large carrots, peeled and diced small
2 stalks celery, diced small
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed and picked over
1 can white beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1-2 cups chopped spinach, slightly packed into measuring cup
1/2 pound precooked chicken sausage, diced (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Toasted almonds, chopped (for garnish)
Dried cranberries (for garnish)

Directions:
1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, curry powder, salt and pepper.  Saute for 4-5 minutes until vegetables start to soften, stirring often.

2. Add the broth and lentils.  Bring to a low simmer for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender. 

3. Stir in the beans, spinach and sausage (if using).  Heat through.  Season with additional salt and pepper as desired.  The soup will thicken slightly upon standing.

4. Serve with toasted almonds and dried cranberries.

Source: adapted slightly from Tamara B. via www.melskitchencafe.com