Lentil and Sausage Soup
It may be a peasant recipe, but this lentil and sausage soup recipe (ready in about an hour) is fit for a king
Hearty Lentil and Sausage soup: a steaming bowl of satisfying goodness to warm your day:
- This humble, healthy, and, yes-hearty soup, is packed full of vegetables: carrots, onions, garlic, potatoes, greens, and French lentils. Just a quarter cup of lentils has 14 grams of fiber, 13 grams of protein, and loads of calcium and potassium. It may be a peasant recipe, but my lentil and sausage soup is fit for a king. Have a hungry family that wants dinner in about an hour? Make this your go-to recipe.
- Most ingredients are in your pantry and fridge: broth or stock, lentils, canned tomatoes, garlic, onions, and carrots. Perhaps you have greens like kale or spinach about to go bad- throw them in the pot. Most recipes call for a traditional Mirepoix. I never have celery on hand so I leave it out of my recipe. I add kielbasa, an inexpensive source of protein, and keeps just about forever in the fridge.
Ingredients in Lentil and Sausage Soup:
- dry French Lentils- this hearty legume is packed with protein and fiber. See my note about which kind to use
- kielbasa or sausage
- onion
- garlic
- carrots
- potatoes
- fresh rosemary & thyme
- kale, Swiss chard or spinach
- canned chopped tomatoes
- red pepper flakes, salt, pepper
- chicken stock
- olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
Special Equipment needed for this recipe:
Other cold-weather soups to try:
- Mushroom, beef and barley soup
- Quick Italian Wedding soup with roasted meatballs
- Roasted carrot and coconut milk soup
- Corn and shrimp chowder
- New England clam chowder
- Wild rice and mushroom soup
- Après ski vegetable soup
- Classic French onion with Gruyere toast
- Beef and bean soup
Pro-tips about this lentil and sausage soup:
What to serve with this recipe:
- sour dough with salty butter
- cornbread muffins
- simple green salad with slices of crisp apples, chards of cheese and a light vinegar dressing and lots of cracked pepper
- Pinot Noir, Beaujolais Nouveau or a dry German Riesling
- for a non-alcoholic beverage- a bottle of crisp sparkling water with pomegranates arils, a glass of ice cold ginger beer or warm apple cider
How to choose the best legume:
- Buy French or green lentils-
- The best lentils in the world come from the Haute Loire region. The lentils thrive in the rich volcanic soil.
- I prefer French Green Le Puy lentils. They stay a bit firmer.
- You can serve these Le Puy lentils cold in salads or dressed with a champagne vinaigrette.
- Red lentils are used in Indian, Turkish or middle eastern cuisine- like Dahl -they will turn to mush if used in this soup- they are a base for many types of soups or curries- just not this recipe.
- Black lentils are grown in Idaho and Washington state. They are served as a side like peas.