1 14-ounce can diced organic fire roasted tomatoes
5-6 cups stock (or boiling water with 2 teaspoons of Better than Bouillon vegetable base), plus more if needed
1 bunch of lacinato kale, stemmed and chopped
2 Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage sausages, quartered lengthwise and chopped
1 tablespoon organic red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the onion, add a bit of salt, and cook until translucent (about 5-6 minutes). Add the garlic, celery, and carrots and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the herbs and then the wine, and let the wine cook down.
Put the contents of the skillet in the slow cooker. (You’ll use the same skillet to sauté the sausages later.) Set the slow cooker on low. Add the lentils, fire roasted tomatoes, and the stock (or boiling water into which you have dissolved the Better than Bouillon). Cover and let cook for about 5 hours, adding additional stock if needed. (The lentils can absorb a lot of liquid!)
Taste your lentils. Ideally, they should be still firm on the outside and hold their shape, but be soft and tender on the inside.
Sauté the chopped Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausages in the same skillet in which you sauteed the onions, garlic, celery and carrots (adding a little more olive oil, if needed). When the sausage is browned (5-6 minutes), add it to the slow cooker.
Because my husband likes his kale well cooked, I steamed mine in the microwave for about 5 minutes before adding the chopped kale to the slow cooker, which I’ve now turned down to low.
Cook for about another 30 minutes on low to make sure the kale is fully cooked to your liking. Remove and discard the Bay leaf and the sprigs of thyme, oregano and parsley. Stir in the red vinegar, and add a little more salt and pepper if needed.
The soup will hold well on warm for several hours. Serve in warmed soup bowls with a crusty baguette to mop up all the delicious broth.