Description
A hearty Lentil Sausage Soup featuring savory ground sausage, brown lentils, and a medley of vegetables simmered in a rich broth, perfect for a comforting meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 0.5 teaspoon dried parsley
- 0.5 teaspoon oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon mustard powder
- 0.25 teaspoon pepper
Soup
- 1 pound ground sausage, hot or mild
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup carrots, diced
- 0.5 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 the casings if using sausage links. Preheat a large pot over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook and crumble it, covering partially once halfway cooked, stirring occasionally until fully cooked, about 12 minutes. Drain on paper towels and reserve 1 tablespoon drippings.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add reserved drippings and 2 tablespoons butter to the pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 4 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 1 more minute.
- Add Flour and Tomato Paste: Stir in flour and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes to combine and develop flavor.
- Add Broths: Slowly add chicken and beef broth in splashes, using a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom of the pot for flavor.
- Add Seasonings and Lentils: Stir in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lentils, bay leaf, and all seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Finish Soup: Add the cooked sausage and diced tomatoes back to the pot. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. Adjust thickness with water or broth if needed. Serve hot.
Notes
- Chopped kale can be added during the last 5 minutes of cooking; spinach can be added during the last 3 minutes for extra greens.
- Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and mustard powder act as subtle flavor enhancers and do not make the soup spicy.
- Use low sodium broth if you want to reduce salt, since the sausage contains salt already.
- For a brothier soup, use 0.75 pound or 0.5 pound sausage instead of 1 pound.
- Ground turkey can substitute sausage for a lighter version.
- Green lentils can be used but require longer cooking; avoid canned or red lentils as they do not hold up well.
- Crock Pot Option: Brown sausage in a skillet, melt butter in the slow cooker, add veggies and tomato paste, then add all ingredients including cooked sausage and cook on high 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
