Description
Hearty and flavorful Lentil Sausage Soup combines ground sausage, brown lentils, vegetables, and a medley of seasonings simmered in a rich broth for a comforting meal perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Soup
- 1 lb. ground sausage, hot or mild
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 cup dry brown lentils, rinsed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
Instructions
- Cook the Sausage: Remove casings if using sausage links. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add sausage and crumble as it cooks. When halfway done, partially cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until fully cooked, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside on paper towels and reserve 1 tablespoon drippings.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add reserved sausage drippings and 2 tablespoons butter to the pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, celery, and carrots; cook for 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add Flour and Tomato Paste: Stir in flour and tomato paste; cook for 2 minutes to blend flavors and form a roux.
- Deglaze and Add Broth: Slowly add chicken and beef broth in splashes, scraping bottom of the pot with a spatula to loosen browned bits for extra flavor.
- Add Seasonings and Lentils: Stir in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lentils, bay leaf, and dried herbs. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine Sausage and Tomatoes: Return cooked sausage to the pot, add diced tomatoes, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Add water or broth if a thinner consistency is preferred.
- Serve: Remove bay leaf, ladle soup into bowls, and enjoy warm.
Notes
- Adding chopped kale during the last 5 minutes or spinach during the last 3 minutes enhances nutrition and flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and mustard powder act as subtle flavor enhancers without spicing the soup.
- Use low sodium broth to control salt content, especially since sausage is salted.
- For a brothier soup, reduce sausage to ¾ lb. or ½ lb.
- Ground turkey is a lighter alternative to sausage.
- Green lentils can replace brown lentils but need longer cooking due to tougher skins.
- Avoid canned or red lentils as they are too soft for this recipe.
- Alternate slow cooker method: Brown sausage separately, then combine all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours without sausage drippings or flour.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
