Spicy Sausage Soup

I'm suppose to be on a diet as the big day is just round the corner. I've been cooking relatively healthy meals and this is one of it. I had this soup on its own without any additional carbs. The only unhealthy ingredient would be the sausages, so I would suggest using turkey sausage or any low fat sausages you can find. I read somewhere that spicy food increases your metabolic rate and helps lose weight faster, so I added some cayenne pepper. Fact or myth I'm not sure, but I love spicy food, so I am more than happy to make all my food spicy. This is a very simple and tasty soup, a perfect weekday recipe!

Ingredients: serves 2

• 1 Sweet Pointed red Pepper
• 1 tbs + more Olive Oil
• 3 Sausages (about 200g) - meat removed from casing
• 1 medium Onion - diced
• 1 Carrot - chopped
• 1 Celery Stalk - diced
• half a bulb of garlic - peeled and crushed
• 1/2 cup Red Wine
• 1 can Canned Plum Tomatoes
• 1 cup Chicken Stock (low sodium)
• 1 tbs Brown Sugar
• 2 Dried Bay Leaves
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

• Switch oven to broil mode.
• Coat red pepper with a bit of olive oil and broil until skin on both sides is charred.

• Leave to cool, peel skin and coarsely chop the pepper.
• Pour 1 tbs of olive oil in a heated pan.
• Add sausages meat. Slowly break up meat and fry until browned.
• Add onions, fry until translucent and soft.
• Mix in carrot and celery.
• When carrots are soft, add garlic and fry until fragrant.
• Stir in other ingredients including the chopped pepper.
• Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 30 mins.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove bay leaves and serve!