Mediterranean Lentil Soup with Sausage

This recipe is from Nourish MD. It is excellent and even better as leftovers. Nourish MD has cook books your can order from their site and just download to your computer. Their recipes are really good and very healthy.

1 cup of lentils (you can soak them or buy canned)
1 T. butter or coconut oil
1 cup sliced leeks or chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 cups of beef, chicken or vegetable stock (I mixed chicken and beef- 4 cups of each)
1- 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes or 2 cups of fresh diced
1 T. tamari or wheat free soy sauce
1/2 t. fresh thyme
1/4 t. ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
12 ounces or 4 links of nitrate free sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
1 t. Celtic sea salt
1/2 t. pepper

1. In a large soup pot, over medium heat melt butter.
2. Cook leeks or onions and garlic in butter until translucent.
3. Stir in lentils, stock, un-drained tomatoes, soy sauce, thyme, cumin and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add carrot and celery and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 more minutes until veggies are tender crisp. Stir in sausage and heat through. Discard bay leaf.