Red Lentil Sweet Potato Kale Soup

This soup is simple, but delicious. It's excellent for the fall and winter seasons. The veggie sausage is optional, but highly recommended--it makes the soup much hardier. When served with bread, this soup makes for a great meal.
-Austin

Ingredients (5-6 servings)

• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 5 celery stalks, chopped
• 3--5 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1-2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into cubes
• 1.5 cups of red lentils
• 8 cups of vegetable broth
• 28 oz. of tomatoes, diced
• 1 head of Lacinato (Tuscan) kale, destemmed and chopped
  • I like to separate the leaves of the kale from the stem, then chop the stem and sauté it with the veggie sausage. The leaves can be chopped to bite sized pieces (but not too small, because they'll wilt)
• 26 oz. veggie sausage, chopped into rounds
• 2 teaspoons of dried rosemary
• 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons of red wine vinegar

Preparation
Add olive oil to a large pot and bring to medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 3--5 minutes, until onions begin to become translucent. Add in the celery and garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Stir in the sweet potatoes and lentils, then add the veggie broth and diced tomatoes. Stir in the spices and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté the veggie sausage and kale stems.

When the soup has finished simmering, stir in the kale leaves and add the red wine vinegar. Cook for 3 more minutes, then add the sautéed veggie sausage and kale stems.