Sausage Lentil Soup Recipe

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Spicy Italian sausage.  Earthy lentils.  Vegetables like onion, celery and carrots in a spicy, tomatoey broth with kale.  Oh my!

Dried lentils are something I always have on hand.  I love them!  They make for an inexpensive meal or addition to a meal at any time of year.  They also work in salads, and you can use them in almost any way you would like rice or quinoa.

Besides being versatile, they’re good for you!  They’re loaded with plant protein and iron.

Sausage and lentils are a match made in culinary heaven; in a soup like this Sausage Lentil Soup with kale, they’re culinary magic!

Makes great leftovers! This hearty Sausage Lentil Soup recipe also freezes and reheats beautifully!

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Sausage Lentil Soup recipe, along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Italian Sausage: Use mild or spicy, depending upon your tolerance. You can also substitute turkey or chicken Italian sausage. If you do that, use chicken or vegetable broth instead of beef broth.
• Brown Lentils: Brown lentils are the most common type of lentil widely available at most grocery stores near dried beans and rice. They cook reasonably quickly–20 to 25 minutes. You can substitute green lentils but allow an additional 20-25 minutes of cooking time. I don’t advise using red lentils because they break down too much after cooking.
• Petite Diced Tomatoes: Petite diced tomatoes are about half the size of diced tomatoes. Although the sausage lentil soup will be more chunky, you can substitute diced for petite diced. Another option is to use kitchen shears to chop the diced tomatoes more finely, which you can do right in the can.
• Kale: I used regular green curly kale, but any kale can be used. You can substitute other leafy greens such as spinach or Swiss chard.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Start by inspecting the lentils.  See my tips below on how to do that.
• Cook the lentils separately before adding them to this soup.  Place the lentils in a saucepan of water and bring to a boil.  Cook for a half hour or until the lentils are tender.
• When the lentils are cooked, drain, rinse to cool, then drain again.  Set aside.

• Brown the sausage over medium-high heat, then transfer to a plate.

• Reduce heat and saute chopped onion, carrots, and celery until tender.

• Add garlic, the cooked sausage, beef broth, and canned diced tomatoes.
• Add dried basil and oregano and let it simmer away.

• Add the kale and simmer until it wilts.
• Transfer the lentils back to the pot and heat through.

• Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, and add crushed red pepper flakes for a kick if desired!

That’s it!

If you prefer, you can always substitute turkey sausage or chicken sausage.  If you do that, substitute the beef broth with chicken stock or chicken broth.

How to Inspect Lentils for Debris:

One thing you always want to do when working with lentils is to look them over well for stones, twigs, and odd-looking shriveled ones because those can be stone-like.

What I do is:

• Place a small amount–about 1/4 cup–on a plain white paper plate.  A white surface makes debris easier to find.
• Look them over for any odd things and discard them.
• Then, gently fold the plate to guide them into your pot or into a bowl.
• Repeat with the remaining lentils.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• I like to cook lentils separately because all the starch they give off can make a soup murky….and who wants that?  Soups tend to thicken upon standing, especially those with anything starchy, like lentils.  Cooking them separately will help prevent that.  Also, anything acidic, like the tomatoes, or salty, like the broth in this recipe, may cause your lentils to take longer.
• A soup-making tip I’ve learned over my years as a personal chef is to let the soup “rest” approximately 15 to 20 before serving.  It will be unbearably hot anyway, so let those flavors meld and get to know each other a little bit.

Stay well and enjoy this delicious, hearty Sausage Lentil Soup!

Serve this Sausage Lentil Kale Soup with:

• Artichoke Focaccia with Rosemary
• Artichoke Tapenade with Crostini
• Muffin Pan Mini Quiches

More great lentil recipes you’ll love!

• Kale Butternut Squash and Lentil Soup with Bacon
• Thai Red Curry Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes
• Southwestern Lentil and Brown Rice Bake
• Soupy Spanish Lentils with Chorizo and Manchego Toast

Check out all my soup recipes at  Soups and Stews Recipe Index.