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Sausage and Lentil Soup is thick and hearty, loaded with Italian sausage, lentils, and vegetables in a tomato-based broth. This is the comforting recipe you need this winter!
You guys, I swear I say this every single year, but I am trying to get ahead and stay organized with my holiday shopping.
Last year, I put forth quite the effort for about a week and then failed miserably and ended up shopping on Christmas Eve and wrapping gifts until about 2am.
Not this year, folks. I’m sitting at my computer right now monitoring Cyber Monday deals because this girl is not a Black Friday shopper. In fact, I’m not much of an in-person shopper period, unless we’re talking Target!
So I’m dedicating this day to tackling my shopping list while watching big, fluffy snowflakes swirl around outside!
SAUSAGE AND LENTIL SOUP
There’s just something about a big pot of soup simmering away on the stove that makes me want to throw some wood into the fireplace and curl up on the couch all day.
Soup is warm, comforting and in my opinion it’s the perfect fall or winter dinner. Whether it’s Turkey Noodle Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, or Lasagna Soup, I am here for all of it.
There’s just one problem and the problem would be my family.
They refer to soup as a “tease” and think that it should never be referred to as dinner – more specifically – their dinner.
I remember one of the first times that I made soup for them, they slurped it down and within a few minutes stated something like, “That was great, now what’s for dinner?” Um, hello – you just ate it!
Typically I’ll go with their meat and potato ways, but sometimes I can slip a soup into our repertoire that qualifies as a meal instead of an appetizer.
Sausage and Lentil Soup is just that kind of creation. It’s loaded with Italian sausage and veggies cooked in a rich tomato broth.
And if you’re a fan of Carrabba’s Sausage and Lentil Soup, you may be a little excited to hear that this copycat version tastes very similar!
WHAT KIND OF VEGETABLES CAN YOU USE?
I like to pack my Sausage and Lentil Soup full of vegetables. After all, I may as well take advantage of the fact that my family is eating it to sneak some veggies into them.
I usually go for carrots, onions, celery and zucchini for my soup. But don’t feel like you have to use the same!
For example, diced bell peppers or peeled and diced sweet potato would be great. You could even sneak in some spinach or kale.
No matter which veggies you use, you’ll need about 5 ½ cups total. So get creative with whichever vegetables your family likes best!
WHAT KIND OF SAUSAGE SHOULD I BUY?
This recipe uses ground Italian sausage. You can usually find it in the butcher section of your grocery store.
Make sure you buy Italian sausage instead of breakfast sausage, which won’t have quite the right flavors for this soup.
If you prefer your soup a little spicy, go ahead and grab hot Italian sausage. If you aren’t big into pork, feel free to use ground turkey or chicken Italian sausage instead.
Serve this Sausage and Lentil Soup with a loaf of fresh bread – or maybe even Beer Bread or Parker House Rolls – and you’ll have a meal that will please just about anyone!
Sausage and Lentil Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound green lentils
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage You can also use ground Italian turkey sausage
- 1 cup diced onion about 1 large
- 1 ½ cups diced celery about 4 stalks
- 1 ½ cups diced carrots about 3-2 large
- 1 ½ cup diced zucchini about 1 small
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 large cloves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cans diced tomatoes 14.5 ounces each, undrained
- grated Parmesan
- fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
- In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add in the Italian sausage. Brown the sausage until it is cooked through.
- Add in the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, garlic, herbs and spices, cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the chicken stock, canned tomatoes, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 ½ hours, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed to adjust the consistency of the soup. We tend to prefer ours a little on the thick side, so I add in about 3 cups half way through the cook time.
- Check the seasonings – add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Mmmm. I want this for dinner! I wish I had some lentils handy.
I LOVE soup. I could eat it every day of the autumn and winter. I linked up a GREAT soup but I’m awesome and labeled it wrong – soup# 16 is Minestrone Soup :) Oops! Forgive my novice ways.
We have lentil soup all the time. With a side of crusty bread to mop up all the deliciousness :)
Now that I am experiencing my first Autumn in nearly a decade (I’ve been living in the tropics. Don’t hate me) I can’t get enough soup. My family has been crying “Enough already” but I think I’ll have to make a batch of this before sending the stock pot into semi-retirement.
This looks so yummy and cozy for Fall!! I looove soup for dinner, but my husband is the same way. Last night we had Lasagna Soup, and I think he was able to handle it only because I served tons of bread and salad with.
My husband is the same way! He never grew up eating soup for dinner, just meat and potatoes! So when I make it, he claims it never fills him up! Psh…
Hubs loves this type of soup, and this looks like a great recipe, thanks for sharing!
What a delightful soup!
I make lentil soup every week in the winter. With the same ingredients except for the broth. I don’t see the use of it here, there are so much goodies already between the herbs and celeri/carrot + cheese.
My husband is the same way, soup isn’t a meal to him…he’s just gotta have a sandwich with it. Men! LOL
This soup sounds really great and I want to try it even though I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a lentil in my life! How well do you think this would freeze? Thanks!!