Sausage & Lentil Soup

Nothing beats a warm, comforting bowl of hearty soup on a chilly day! This amazing sausage and lentil soup is perfect for families who want something filling and nutritious without spending hours in the kitchen. You’ll love how it fills your home with incredible aromas and fills everyone up with wholesome goodness.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Active Time: 35 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour, Serves: 6 people.

Nutrition Profile: Diabetes-Friendly, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 287 Calories, 16g Fat, 24g Carbs, 13g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Extra-virgin olive oil: Just 1 tablespoon is all you need to get that beautiful golden sear on your sausage. This good-quality oil adds a lovely flavor base to the whole soup.

Hot Italian pork sausage: 8 ounces with casings removed gives you the perfect amount of spicy, savory flavor. You can ask your butcher to remove the casings, or just squeeze the meat out yourself!

Leek: One medium leek, sliced using only the white and light green parts, adds such a mild, sweet onion flavor. Make sure to rinse it well since leeks can be sandy.

Celery: 1 cup chopped celery gives great texture and earthy flavor. Don’t toss those leaves – we’re saving them for a pretty garnish!

Carrots: 1 cup chopped carrots adds natural sweetness and beautiful color. Plus, they make the soup extra nutritious.

Garlic: 4 cloves chopped up will make your kitchen smell absolutely amazing. Fresh garlic makes such a difference in flavor.

Fresh thyme: 2 teaspoons chopped brings that wonderful herby aroma. If you only have dried thyme, use about 1 teaspoon instead.

Ground pepper and salt: ½ teaspoon pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt season everything perfectly. You can always adjust to taste later.

Tomato paste: 3 tablespoons might seem like a lot, but this concentrated flavor bomb makes the soup so rich and delicious.

Lower-sodium vegetable broth: 4 cups creates the perfect soup base. Lower-sodium lets you control the salt level better.

Collard greens: 4 cups loosely packed and chopped adds amazing nutrition and color. They’ll cook down quite a bit, so don’t worry about the volume!

Cooked lentils: 1½ cups cooked lentils or one 14-ounce can, rinsed, makes this soup super hearty and protein-packed. Any type works great!

Diced tomatoes: One 14-ounce can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes brings brightness and more veggie goodness to every bowl.

Aged sherry vinegar: Just 1 tablespoon at the end brightens up all the flavors beautifully. It’s like magic!

Parmesan cheese: 6 tablespoons grated gives each bowl that perfect finishing touch. Freshly grated tastes so much better than pre-grated.

How to Make Sausage & Lentil Soup

Step 1: Heat your olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and press it into an even layer with your spatula. Let it cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Then stir and crumble it into smaller pieces. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink.

Step 2: Add your leek, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook everything together, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender – about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, thyme, pepper, and salt. Cook for just 1 minute, stirring constantly, until it smells incredible.

Step 3: Add the tomato paste and cook it, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. You want it to get darkened and caramelized – this step adds so much depth to the flavor!

Step 4: Stir in the broth, collards, lentils, and diced tomatoes. Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until the flavors meld and the collards are tender.

Step 5: Remove from heat and stir in that sherry vinegar. Divide the soup among 6 bowls and sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese. Garnish with those reserved celery leaves if you’d like – they add such a nice fresh touch!

Easy and Quick Sausage & Lentil Soup Version

Want to speed things up? You can use pre-cooked sausage and just slice it up instead of browning raw sausage! Also, try using a bag of pre-chopped mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onions) instead of chopping everything yourself. Skip the fresh thyme and use 1 teaspoon dried thyme instead. This cuts your prep time down to just 15 minutes!

Serving Ideas

This soup is pretty much a complete meal all by itself! Serve it with some crusty bread or warm dinner rolls for dipping. A simple side salad with mixed greens would be perfect too. For extra comfort, try it with some buttery cornbread on the side.

Storage

Store your leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To reheat, just warm it gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. You might need to add a splash of broth if it gets too thick after sitting.

Substitutions

No hot Italian sausage? Try mild Italian sausage and add some red pepper flakes! You can swap the collard greens for kale or spinach if that’s what you have. Can’t find sherry vinegar? Red wine vinegar or even a splash of lemon juice works great too.

Pro Tips

• Get that sear: Don’t skip letting the sausage get golden brown – that’s where tons of flavor comes from!
• Caramelize the tomato paste: Those 2 minutes of cooking the tomato paste until dark really makes a difference in the final taste.
• Taste and adjust: Before serving, taste your soup and add more salt, pepper, or even a pinch of red pepper flakes if you want more heat.
• Make it ahead: This soup actually tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have had time to meld together!

FAQs

Can I use dried lentils instead of cooked ones?

You bet! Use about ¾ cup dried lentils and add them with the broth. You’ll need to simmer the soup for about 35-40 minutes instead of 20 to make sure the lentils get tender.

What if I can’t find collard greens?

No worries! Kale works perfectly, or you can use spinach. If using spinach, add it in the last 5 minutes of cooking since it wilts so quickly.

Can I make this soup vegetarian?

Sure! Just skip the sausage and add an extra can of lentils or some diced mushrooms for that meaty texture. You might want to add a bit more seasoning to make up for the missing sausage flavor.

How can I make this soup less spicy?

Use mild Italian sausage instead of hot, or try turkey sausage for a lighter option. You can always add heat with red pepper flakes, but you can’t take it away!

I hope you love this cozy soup as much as my family does! Let me know how it turns out for you and if you try any fun variations. There’s nothing better than sharing a warm bowl of homemade soup with the people you care about!