Serves: 8

Cook Time: 2 Hours

Smithfield Product: Dinner Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 pound sliced Smithfield Smoked Sausage
• 1 cup Smithfield Deli Thin Cooked Ham, shredded
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium carrots, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (chopped)
• 6 - 8 cups chicken stock
• One 16-oz. can peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1/2 pound dried lentils (1 1/4 cups)
• 12 large fresh spinach leaves, cut into small pieces
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned. Remove sausage and place on a platter. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of drippings from pan. Reheat drippings and add ham, onion, green pepper, carrot and spices to the saucepan. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, lentils and sliced sausage. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours. As soup cooks, skim off fat that rises to the top. After 2 hours turn off heat and discard bay leaf. Add salt, pepper and spinach let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

This recipe was specially prepared and created by Paula Deen for Smithfield. Recipe and photo courtesy of Smithfield.