#dairyfree Lentil Sausage Soup

By Lifeasarunningmom @RunningMom6
I love soup. Dear hubby on the other hand doesn't see it as a meal. For him, soup is an appetizer. However, I have found ways to offer soup as a meal with less resistance. First, don't make such a large batch. I love my slow cooker and would make a huge batch of soup. Enough to feed the family one day and then have leftovers for the next. I would change it up by adding nice toast as a side one night or something like that. However, that didn't fool dear hubby. He was still eating soup two nights in a row or twice a week if I spaced the meals out by a day. That didn't fool him either by the way. Now I make smaller batches. Second, add more substance. Yep, add some meat in there and now the soup is more than a soup. I could do just lentils and seasonings. Dear hubby, not so much. Darling daughter? She could do either. Just don't have too many chunky veggies in there that she doesn't like....such as no big bites of zucchini. 
And that is how this recipe was created. One mom trying to please the whole family including her own personal love for soup and the slow cooker.
Introducing....#dairyfree Lentil Sausage Soup!
The Ingredients:8 oz dried lentils1/4 cup chopped onion1/2 cup diced tomato1/2 cup pureed carrots4-6 cups of water (depends on how thick you want your broth)4 tsp seasoning mix (I received this mix as a gift and it contains paprika, salt, pepper, parsley, onion, garlic, oregano, basil, and thyme - feel free to season however you like!)1 - 1 1/2 cups of chopped sausage (I used a spicy Louisiana link...yum!)
The Steps:Easy peasy - put it all in your slow cooker and set it to cook all day! You may want to start with less water and check on it throughout the day as the lentils begin to absorb the liquid. Add more as desired. Broth too runny? Add some cornstarch to thicken things up at the end!
Servings: 4-5 (I fed this to my family of three and still put some away in the freezer for another day.)
Daily Gratitude: I am thankful for Mother Nature.Daily Affirmation: I am strong, physically and mentally.