Lentil Sausage Soup
User Reviews
5
Lentil Sausage Soup
Description
Lentil Sausage Soup starts by browning ground sausage to render fat and flavor before cooking diced onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in the reserved drippings and butter. Flour and tomato paste are added to build a slightly thickened base. Chicken and beef broth are incorporated along with Worcestershire and hot sauce to deepen the savory profile. Brown lentils, a bay leaf, dried herbs, and canned diced tomatoes create a rich, chunky soup when simmered slowly until the lentils are tender. The flavors meld to provide a balanced soup that highlights the spiced sausage and tender lentils without overwhelming heat or spice from the hot sauce.
This soup is substantial enough to serve as a main dish and pairs well with rustic bread. Adding chopped kale or spinach late in cooking can boost nutrition and color, though it isn’t required. Worcestershire and hot sauce act as subtle enhancers rather than dominant flavors. The recipe can be adapted with ground turkey for a lighter version or different lentil types if needed, but dry brown lentils are preferred for texture.
The soup is suitable for stovetop or crock pot preparation, allowing a hands-off cooking time. Higher altitudes or differing slow cooker models may require extra cooking time. Opening the cooker during the process will prolong cooking due to heat loss.
Ingredients
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon basil dried
- ½ teaspoon parsley dried
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Soup
- 1 lb. ground sausage hot or mild
- 1 yellow onion small
- 1 cup carrot 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 brown lentils rinsed. See notes, dry
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 diced tomatoes 14.5 oz. canned, drained
Instructions
- Cook the Sausage: Remove the casings from the sausage if you purchased links. Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook and crumble to break it apart. Once cooked halfway through, cover partially and continue to heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. It’ll take around 10-12 minutes total. Set the sausage aside on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon drippings. (Butter can be used if you don’t have drippings.)
- Add the drippings to the pot along with 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the diced onions, celery, and carrots and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and beef broth in splashes, and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot to add more flavor the soup.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lentils, bay leaf, and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the sausage back to the soup along with the diced tomatoes, Simmer for 10 minutes. A little water or broth can be added to thin the soup out slightly if desired. Serve!
Notes
- Ground sausage drippings add flavor to the soup base; butter can substitute if drippings are unavailable.
- Adding chopped kale or spinach near the end enhances color and nutrition; kale takes about 5 minutes, spinach about 3 minutes to cook through.
- Worcestershire and hot sauce provide depth without adding spiciness; these ingredients are important for flavor balance.
- Use dry brown lentils for best texture; canned or red lentils are not recommended as they can overcook easily.
- Slow cooker timings vary; cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours, with adjustments needed for higher altitudes or cooker differences.
- Substitute ground turkey for a lighter variation; reduce sausage quantity for a brothier soup.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 439 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 439kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 23g | 46% |
| Fat | 25g | 38% |
| Saturated Fat | 9g | 45% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 64mg | 21% |
| Sodium | 1843mg | 77% |
| Potassium | 1025mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 12g | 48% |
| Sugar | 5g | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 3920IU | 78% |
| Vitamin C | 29mg | 32% |
| Calcium | 93mg | 9% |
| Iron | 5mg | 28% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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