5:2 Sausage, Lentil, & Kale Stew (207 calories)

I've been having fun making lighter versions of some of our favorite recipes. Not all of them can be knocked down to 200, but those that already run low are good candidates for diet days. This stew has about half of the calories of our normal Sausage, Lentil, & Kale Stew, but without halving the serving size.



(For those of you counting calories, I've added the amount for each ingredient so you can easily make tweaks without having to re-calculate everything. Anything marked with an asterisk* will vary a lot based on what you buy, so make sure to compare your label.)

2.5 oz. ground sausage (250*)
1 cup onion, chopped (60)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, broken into pieces (50)
1 cup potato, chopped (100)
4 Tbsp. tomato paste (60*)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic(0)
2 tsp. salt (0)
1 tsp. black pepper (5)
1 tsp. dried rosemary (4)
1 tsp. dried thyme (4)
5 cups water (0)
3 tsp. chicken bouillon (15)
4 cups kale, stem removed, leaves chopped (140)
1/2 cup dried lentils, green or brown (140)


1) In a large soup pot (4-6 quart), cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking it apart as it browns.

2) Add the onion, mushrooms, potato, tomato paste, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and thyme. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.

3) Add the water and bouillon, turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Add the kale and lentils and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 45 minutes, until lentils are tender. Serves 4.

Calories - 207 for 1/4