Red Lentil and Lamb Sausage Soup (or another reason to use my new immersion blender)

Last week at the farmers market, John picked up some lamb sausage. We didn't know what we were going to do with it, but that never seems to stop us from shopping.

After a very quick web search, I found a recipe for Red Lentil, Potato, and Lamb Sausage soup. After a few edits, and about an hour, it looked like this.

We each ate two bowls.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound local and organic lamb sausage from Sea Breeze Farms
• 1 local and organic onion
• 2 cloves of local and organic garlic
• 1 stalk of organic celery
• 1 cup of red lentil beans
• 1 cup of canned organic tomatoes
• 1 pound local and organic new potatoes from Olsen Farms
• 6 cups local, organic, homemade chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• Cinnamon
• Cumin
• Cayenne
• Ginger

Directions

In a large soup pot, cook the sausage until well browned. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage and reserve in a bowl. You should have a tablespoon or two of rendered fat left in the soup pot.

Mix the spices in a bowl. I used about half a teaspoon of each. Add the onion, garlic, celery, lentils, and spices. Stir frequently for about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the mixture starts to bubble.

Add the potatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

Use an immersion blender and blend as much of the soup as you'd like. I left a few chunks of vegetables and it gave a nice texture to the mix. Add the sausage and heat through (about another 5-6 minutes).

I will definitely be making this again.