Lentil, Ditalini and Sausage Soup

By bakers_delight85

One cup of dried lentils yields 3 to 4 cups cooked.

Ingredients

• 3 sweet pork sausage links, casings removed and meat crumbled
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup dried lentils, sorted and washed
• 1/2 cup ditalini
• Fine sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups diced tomatoes

Preparation

Step 1

Cook the sausage in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until it is no longer pink. Set aside.
Pour the chicken broth into a soup pot, add the lentils, and bring to a oil; reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Do not overcook them or they will turn to mush; they should still have a bit of a firm core at this point.
Stir in the ditalini, and 1 tsp. of salt and continue cooking until the pasta is almost al dente, about 5 minutes depending on the brand. Stir in the sausage and tomatoes. Cover and simmer the soup for 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
A salad is the only accompaniment needed as the soup is quite hearty.