Soup - R Supper

Soup, if you avoid the cream or cheese-laden varieties makes a filling and satisfying supper that's not super high in calories. The recipe is one I made up and it's been a staple in the winter for some 20 years.

Tonight was Lentil soup

3/4 pound cooked veggie "sausage"
1 medium onion chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 diced carrots
2 stalks celery, chopped
4 roasted cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 14.5 ounce can crushed fire roasted tomatoes
2 cups dry lentils
6 cups stock (veggie, chicken or beef or a combination thereof, I used half chicken and half beef)
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
a pinch of Smoked Paprika
3/4 cup spinach, rinsed and finely chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Cook and chop sausage. Add olive oil, onions, carrots and celery and cook and stir until the onion is tender.  Stir in seasonings and cook on low for a couple of minutes.  Stir in lentils, stock, water and undrained tomatoes.  Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for an hour.  When ready to serve, stir in spinach and vinegar and heat on low 10 minutes.  Serve with a slice of baguette.

Substitutions at your own risk.  I posted this recipe elsewhere many years ago only to have someone say they made it and it was "only OK".  They substituted kidney beans for the lentils, hamburger for the sausage, left out the veggies and the garlic, substituted chili powder for the paprika,  tomato sauce for the fire roasted tomatoes and regular white vinegar for the balsamic.

I was kind and didn't say anything, but "seriously, it's not even the same recipe!"