Italian Lentil Soup Recipe

1.5-lbs Italian sausage
1.5- cups chopped fresh fennel bulb
1-sweet onion chopped
1-white onion chopped
1- cop chopped carrots
2-cups chopped celery
1/4- cup olive oil
15- cloves garlic half sliced half minced
2-cups green lentils rinsed and picked through
4-cups vegetable broth
4- cups water
2-teaspoons kosher salt
26oz- chopped tomatoes
1/4- cup chopped fresh parsley
Splash of balsamic vinegar

Heat large Dutch oven over medium high heat, add oil, once hot add the fennel, carrots, onion and celery. After 10 minutes vegetable should be soft and starting to get a little color, then add Garlic. When garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes add Italian sausage and break up with spoon. Once sausage is cooked and no longer pink add container of tomatoes, then broth, water, salt and lentils. Bring to a boi, reduce heat to low and cover, simmer until lentils are tender about 35-40.

Transfer 3-4 cups soup (mostly solids) to food processor bowl and purée until smooth. Return purée to soup in pan, thin soup with a little more broth if desired. Add a large splash of balsamic vinegar and fresh parsley. Ladle soup into bowls and enjoy.