Instructions

1. In a slow cooker, heat the olive oil and brown/sear the Italian turkey sausage, crumbling with a wooden spoon.

2. Add onions, carrots, celery, and Italian seasoning and pepper, and cook until vegetables soften about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute.

3. Add tomatoes, lentils, and broth and stir to combine all ingredients.
   Cook covered on low for 6-8 hours, until lentils get tender, not mushy.

4. Add kale and stir and cook until kale wilts. Adjust seasoning.
   Serve with grated Parmesan on top if desired and crusty whole-wheat bread.

   Note- If the slow cooker does not have a sear/browning function, the sausage and vegetables and seasonings can be cooked in a separate skillet and then added to the slow cooker.