Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage

Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage is a hearty, zesty soup that’s made with lentils, sausage, tomatoes, and fresh vegetables.

Lentil soup with sausage and spinach in a dark bowl.

This sausage and lentil soup is a one-pot meal at its best! Thick, hearty, healthy, and full of flavor for those cold winter nights.

Two bowls of sausage lentil soup and some bread on a cutting board.

Why You’ll Love This

This soup is super easy and ready to eat in under one hour. Lentils are nutritious and budget-friendly! So amp up that lentil soup taste with the flavor of Italian sausage!

If you love Carrabba’s Sausage Lentil soup this recipe is for you! Just add in some diced ham.

Ingredients

  • Bulk Mild or Sweet Italian sausage – If you like it with some kick use Spicy Italian Sausage or hot Italian sausage.
  • Vegetables – Onion, carrots, garlic, diced tomatoes (petite diced), and roasted red peppers.
  • Broth– Chicken stock or chicken broth. You can also use vegetable broth.
  • Lentils – You can use dried brown or green lentils in this lentil soup recipe. Red lentils or canned lentils won’t hold up well.
  • Seasonings – Ground cumin, bay leaf, salt, and pepper
  • Fresh kale – This is our preference but you can substitute fresh spinach.

Variations

  • Make this healthy lentil soup vegan or vegetarian by omitting the sausage and using vegetable stock. Better yet use a plant-based sausage!
  • Add other vegetables such as celery, potatoes, mushrooms, or bell peppers.

How to Make Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage

Soup ingredients in a dutch oven with stock being poured in.

In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat brown the Italian sausage, breaking it into crumbles. Drain the fat.

Add the diced carrots and onion and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute another 1 minute.

Add the diced tomatoes, red peppers, lentils, stock, cumin, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Kale being added to the pot of lentil soup with Italian sausage.

Stir in the chopped kale and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the kale and lentils are tender.

What to Serve with Lentil Soup Recipe

Two bowls of lentil sausage soup in  dark bowls, with bread slices on a wooden board.

Leftovers will tend to thicken as it sits. So when reheating add more chicken stock to achieve your desired consistency.

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Can you make this soup with other proteins?

You can use ground pork, ground beef, ground chicken, or turkey if you prefer for this Italian lentil soup recipe. Just remember it won’t taste exactly the same, so you may need to season more liberally. The Italian sausage in this recipe adds a lot of flavor to the soup.

Is lentil soup healthy?

Lentils are rich in protein, fiber, folate, and iron! And the fresh kale for extra nutrients.

Can I make this in the slow cooker?

Yes, you can make lentil and sausage soup in the slow cooker. Brown the sausage in a large skillet, add the onion, and carrots, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add to the slow cooker along with the other ingredients and give it a stir. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 4 hours until the lentils are tender. Stir in the kale during the last 10 minutes.

Storing

Let the soup cool completely, transfer it to an air-tight container, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. This Mediterranean lentil soup recipe makes 6 hearty servings so it’s great for meal prep.

Freezing

This sausage lentil soup freezes beautifully. Let cool completely, transfer to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop. You might want to thin it out with a little more stock or water.

More Delicious Soup Recipes

Lentil soup with sausage and spinach in a dark bowl.

Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage Recipe

Sausage Lentil Soup is a hearty, zesty soup that’s made with lentils, sausage, tomatoes, and fresh vegetables.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 479kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

  • 1 lb Italian sausage bulk
  • 1 cup Onion diced
  • 1 cup Carrots diced small
  • 3 cloves Garlic minced
  • 14.5 oz Can diced tomatoes drained
  • 1/2 cup Roasted red peppers diced small
  • 4 cups Chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 cup Dried lentils cleaned and rinsed
  • 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 cups Fresh kale coarsely chopped, packed

Instructions

  • In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat brown the Italian sausage, breaking into crumbles. Drain the fat.
  • Add the diced carrots and onion and saute for about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute another 1 minute.
  • Add the diced tomatoes, red peppers, lentils, stock, cumin, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Stir in the chopped kale and simmer another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the kale and lentils are tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 479kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 1260mg | Potassium: 1038mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 5957IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 5mg

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5 from 3 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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