Hearty lentil, spicy sausage soup served with gruyere grilled cheese sandwich

This is the meal to start your new year with. The soup is hearty, warming and spiced with el ras hanout (Moroccan curry spice) and flecked with small chunks of dried chili sausage. This is food for the hungry and non calorie conscience.

3 dl rinsed green lentils
BIO chicken stock cube
5-6 dl water
3 tsp el ras hanout - could be replaced by indian gram masala powder or a curry paste.
3 medium sized carrots
1 medium sized yellow onion
100 grams chili sausage
2 tsp cooking oil

1. Peel and dice the carrots. Chop the onion and slice the sausage into small cubes. 
2. Fry the carrot, onion and sausage in the oil, allow to fry. 
3. Add the el ras hanout to the carrots,onion and sausage. Fry for 5min, while stirring. 
4. Rinse the lentils and add the the pan and then add the water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. check on the soup once in a while and stir, add water if it looks like it needs more liquid.
5. Allow to simmer with half the lid on for 40-50min. The soup should be thick and the lentils cooked through. 

The grilled cheese sandwich is simple. 

200 grams gruyer cheese

2 slices toastable bread

butter - to spread on each outer side of the bread

1 tsp dijon mustard

1. spread dijon mustard on one side of one of the bread slices.
2. Add the cheese, either grated or slices. Make sure you spread the cheese evenly but pile a little extra in the middle as otherwise you will loose some of that beautiful cheese while it melts out over the sides of the sandwich. 
3. Add the other slice of bread ontop of the cheese covered slice. 
4. Heat a griddle pan, no oil needed.
5. Carefully butter the outer sides of both sides of the sandwich. 
6. Make sure your pan is hot, then carefully place the sandwich into the middle of the pan. 
7. Allow the sandwich to toast/fry for approx 3-4min on each side, so that the bread gets sufficiently toasted and chared and so that the cheese melts entirely. 

Sink your teeth into this and feel that happy feeling of melted cheese, crisp slightly charred toast. Heaven.