Lentil and Sweet Italian Sausage Soup

This is a soup that I tried for the first time last week and loved it! I've already passed it on to my mom and it was a success there too. It's an easy soup for a cold day -- and who knew lentils could taste so good. (Shh . . don't tell . . . it's from my favorite Weight Watchers cookbook -- but with sausage, they'll never know!)

6 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used Sunflower Market's chicken sausage and it was awesome)
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup brown lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups fat-free lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Spray a 6-quart saucepan with nonstick spray and set over medium0high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 4-5 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the ionion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, broth and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender, 30-40 minutes.


Per serving: 308 Calories, 9 g Fat (less with chicken sausage!)