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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.
***** Fabulous recipe. I’ve been making lentil soup for more years than I want to reveal, and I have now disposed of my favorite old lentil soup recipe for your recipe. It was the bomb. I’m starting to switch over to plant based eating and used Field Roast Italian Sausage instead of the Italian Pork Sausage. Great substitute. The coolest thing about the recipe is that I am now also, as is, using the soup as a pasta sauce with a little parm and pecorino romano cheese on it. I am over-the-moon happy that I discovered your website and recipe. Thank you!
This should have 1 million likes. This is even better than carrabbas soup & that one is wonderful
So happy to hear this, DeAna! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
Jamie
Just wondering do you have to saute the vegetables
Hi Peter-
Yes, you can find those directions in step 3 of the printable recipe towards the bottom of the post. Hope this help!
-Jamie
This recipe is a staple in my household. I look forward to soup weather just so I can make it! Thank you so much for sharing it. I would love to make it for my mom but unfortunately she’s allergic to tomatoes. Is there anything I could substitute them with to have the same (or similar) great taste & texture?
Hi Teresa!
So happy to hear you enjoy the soup so much! Unfortunately, I can’t think of an adequate substitute for the the tomatoes.
-Jamie
Added a Parmesan Rind, and fresh basil instead of dried, skipped the zucchini. It was spectacular! Thank you!
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Haylee! Thanks for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
This recipe was an excellent starting point; along the way, I added 1 14oz can of tomato sauce, a 2nd 32oz container of stock, frozen corn, 1/2 butternut squas and 2 bay leaves. Seems to me that the flavor was the perfect blend of salt, spice, veg and of course sausage. This was my celebratory stew using a new stove, so thanks very much for posting. It takes a very good cook to create a recipe that works on the first try!
Sounds delish! I love your adjustments!