Sausage, Lentil and Kale Soup

1 tablespoon Village Frizzoni® Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Item# 23158)
1 pound Eagle Ridge® Pork Italian Sausage, Bulk (Item# 51532)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
1 cup brown lentils
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or a mix of broth and water)
4 packed cups of finely chopped kale (about 4 to 5 ounces) (If you can find baby kale, get it. You don’t have to chop it, and it cooks more quickly.)
15 ounce Trifoglio® Tomatoes, Crushed with juices (Item#13032)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Villa Frizzoni® Grated Parmesan Cheese, optional (Item# 16114)

In a large, deep pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add the sausage and cook until lightly browned all over, stirring frequently, about 5 to 7 minutes. Push the sausage to the edges of the pot, and add the onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly browned and softened. Add broth and lentils. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Reduce heat and bring soup to a low rolling boil. Cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in the tomatoes, kale, and crushed red pepper flakes and heat through, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat, and stir in the parsley. Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.