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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.
I made this soup today and it was excellent. I used a pound of ground sausage but didn’t have the zucchini, otherwise made it following the recipe. I’ve never liked lentil soup before but this certainly converted me. This is a great recipe and easy, too. I wonder what you would have to do differently to make it in a slow cooker. Anybody know?
Made this lentil soup… I loves Carrabas so wanted to find a similar recipe… This was good, my boyfriend and I ate it for three days and it was as good as the 1st day….LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Finally tried this soup and LOVED it! Thanks for much!
This is the BEST soup!!! I couldn’t stop eating it! I will have to serve it at my next dinner party!! Thanks for sharing your recipe! :)
I’ll be making this soup over the weekend!
Corn and Potato Chowder
2 lb. russet potatoes, cut into small dice
4 cans chicken stock, plus additional water (enough to cover the potatoes)
leftover ham bone (if you have one – I put mine in the freezer and save it for this soup!!)
1 lb. ham, cut into small chunks if you don’t have a ham bone with leftover meat on it
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 medium red pepper, finely chopped (optional)
12 oz. package bacon (I generally use thick cut), diced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
2 cans of corn (whole kernel or creamed), or 1 16 oz package frozen corn
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup half-and-half (could use milk but it won’t be as creamy)
Garnishes
sour cream
shredded cheese (I use a sharp cheddar)
finely chopped green onion (can use red onion but it will have a sharper bite to it)
Put the potatoes in a large dutch oven, add chicken stock, water, ham bone, bay leaves and cayenne and put them on simmer until the potatoes are just shy of being done. Remove the bay leaves and the ham bone. Allow the ham bone to cool, then remove and reserve any meat. DO NOT DISCARD THE LIQUID. That will be the base of your soup.
In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat (slowly, you want to render the fat and totally crisp up the bacon). Remove the bacon and drain on paper towel, discard all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat (and don’t lose the brown bits on the bottom of the pan!!). In the reserved bacon fat, saute the onions, red pepper and garlic until softened.
Add the sauteed veggies to the potatoes, then add the corn, ham, thyme, parsley, sour cream and half-and-half and stir. Heat on a very low simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with the garnishes listed, plus the reserved cooked bacon.
Rustic Baked Potato Soup
4 baking potatoes or 6 medium potatoes (~ 2 lbs)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup flour
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream or heavy cream
1 cup milk (skim is fine)
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp marjoram, optional
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (1/4 cup reserved)
6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Wash the potatoes and pierce the skins. Bake in a 400°F oven for approximately an hour, or until tender. This can be done ahead of time, or just before making the soup. Roughly chop the potatoes, skins included into bite-sized pieces.
In a large pot, gently cook the garlic and onions in olive oil until the onions start to become translucent.
Mix the flour with the cream until blended; set aside.
Add the chicken broth, milk, salt, pepper and marjoram to the onion/garlic mixture. Add in the flour mixture and bring to a boil until it starts to thicken. Reduce heat and add the chopped potatoes, the cheddar cheese, and bacon. Cook over low heat until hot.
Sprinkle a bit of cheddar cheese over each individual bowl after serving. You can also reserve some bacon to sprinkle on top.
Crock Pot Potato Soup with Bacon
8-10 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pound bacon, crisped, drained, and crumbled
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 (14.5 oz) cans chicken broth or 1 lg. boxed container of broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp. pepper
(I usually add 1 tsp or so of dried oregano as well to taste and a bay leaf or two)
Put the potatoes, onion, and bacon in the crock pot.
{I like to cook my bacon first, then carmelize the onions in the bacon fat and add all that delicious flavor on into the crock}
Combine the other ingredients (cream cheese, chicken broth, chicken soup, pepper) in a large bowl and whisk together.
Add the mixture to the crock pot, and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours (time will vary depending upon your crock.)
Near the end of cooking, pour about 1/3 of the soup into the blender and mix it. This helps the soup to thicken up. *Don’t skip this step! The soup will look runny and chunky, but you pop some of it in the blender and you will have this gorgeous thick soup!*
Variations:
-Add some cheese, or substitute the cream of chicken soup for cheese soup
-Add corn or other veggies to make chowder
Top with crumbled bacon bits, sour cream and chives or green onions, if desired
.
Delicious soup! I’m going to have to make this for DS, he loves lentils.
My kind of soup. And we’re so into the hearty soups right now. Thanks, Jamie!
Beer bread + this soup sounds like the perfect fall meal!