Sausage and Lentil Soup (Slow Cooker)
User Reviews
5
Sausage and Lentil Soup (Slow Cooker)
Description
Sausage and Lentil Soup starts with frying bacon until crispy and then browning Italian sausage in the rendered fat, building a deep flavor base. Aromatics including onion, celery, and red bell pepper are sautéed until softened and lightly browned to add sweetness and texture. Garlic is added briefly before transferring the mixture to a slow cooker along with cooked bacon and sausage. Chicken broth, tomato sauce, dry green lentils, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes complete the ingredients. Cooking on low or high heat for several hours tenderizes the lentils and melds the rich flavors, producing a hearty soup with a balance of meaty, smoky, and spiced notes. The soup can be partially blended for thickness or served chunky.
This soup serves well on its own or with crusty bread and is ideal for cold days or meal prepping.
Bulk Italian sausage meat works well for cost-effectiveness and removing casings is recommended. The stovetop version cooks similarly in a large pot with about an hour simmering time, adding liquid if necessary.
Ingredients
- 6 trips Bacon cut into small pieces
- 16 ounces Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 2 ticks celery chopped finely
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1.5 cups green lentils or brown lentils, dry
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano dried
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste, crushed
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Fry the bacon until crispy in a skillet over medium-high heat (about 10 min). Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pan.
- In the same skillet, fry the sausage meat until browned (about 7-8 min), breaking it up with your spoon as you go along, and then transfer it to the same plate as the bacon.
- Leave about 1-2 tablespoons of the grease in the skillet, and then add the onion, celery, and red bell pepper, and sauté for 5-7 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, then transfer the skillet mixture to your slow cooker.
- Add the cooked bacon and sausage to the slow cooker, along with the chicken broth, tomato sauce, lentils, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
- Season with salt & pepper as needed. If desired, use an immersion blender to blend some of the soup.
Notes
- Buy bulk Italian sausage meat or remove casings if using links for the meat component.
- Six cups of chicken broth equals one and a half 32 oz cartons; adjust broth quantity if needed for stovetop version.
- Simmer soup on stovetop about an hour if not using slow cooker, adding more liquid if lentils absorb too much.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 572 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 572kcal | 29% |
| Carbohydrates | 39g | 13% |
| Protein | 29g | 58% |
| Fat | 34g | 52% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Trans Fat | 0.03g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 77mg | 26% |
| Sodium | 1923mg | 80% |
| Potassium | 1061mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 17g | 68% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 1047IU | 21% |
| Vitamin C | 36mg | 40% |
| Calcium | 78mg | 8% |
| Iron | 6mg | 33% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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