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

a bowl of lentil and sausage soup steaming with hot broth in a brown transfeware bowl

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. 
a wooden cutting board with a large yellow onion, a pile of dried French lentils, a garlic bulb and a pile of unpeeled carrots

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
a cutting board with a bowl of cooked lentils, diced onion, diced sausage and chopped garlic. There are also two silver salt and pepper collars on the board next to a few spins of rosemary and thyme

Special Equipment needed for this recipe:

  • large stock pot
  • sharp knife
  • cutting board
  • fine sieve or strainer- buy my favorite here
  • soup bowls- see my favorite by Spode HERE
diced potatoes, onions, carrots and herbs cooking in a large soup pot

Other cold-weather soups to try:

  1. Mushroom, beef and barley soup
  2. Quick Italian Wedding soup with roasted meatballs
  3. Roasted carrot and coconut milk soup
  4. Corn and shrimp chowder
  5. New England clam chowder
  6. Wild rice and mushroom soup
  7. Après ski vegetable soup
  8. Classic French onion with Gruyere toast
  9. Beef and bean soup
diced sausage being added to a soup pot of vegetables

Pro-tips about this lentil and sausage soup:

  • Seek out the best sausage: Seek out a local butcher like Perfect Cuts,  in Columbia Falls to pick up a fantastic house-made pork sausage. Farm to Market Pork raises and processes their animals for an even better option.
  • Use fresh herbs– Throw in whole stems of thyme and tons of chopped rosemary. The leaves eventually melt into the broth. Fish out the stems before serving.
  • For a fantastic day after soup: add leftover ham, more lentils, another potato, carrot, and more broth. I added the leftover soup to this mixture and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. 
  • This soup loves a sprinkling of grated parmesan.
  • Water is fine if you do not have stock or broth. Especially when warming up leftovers.

  • This is a great soup for when you need to tidy up your fridge– just throw stuff in the soup pot. The lentils and potato can soak up the broth overnight becoming mushy so I brighten up my leftovers with fresh ingredients to stretch out the recipe.
  • Use any greens you have on hand- kale, spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens- any hearty winter crop will do.
a pot of chopped sausage, French lentils, and vegetables cooking in a large stock pot.

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
a canning jar of clear broth on a stove next to a soup pot

How to choose the best legume:

  1. Buy French or green lentils-
  2. The best lentils in the world come from the Haute Loire region. The lentils thrive in the rich volcanic soil.
  3. I prefer French Green Le Puy lentils. They stay a bit firmer.
  4. You can serve these Le Puy lentils cold in salads or dressed with a champagne vinaigrette.
  5. 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.
  6. Black lentils are grown in Idaho and Washington state. They are served as a side like peas.

Lentil and Sausage Soup

Recipe by Meggen Arthur Wilson
Course: Soups u0026amp; StewsDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

1

hour 
Calories

282

kcal

This comforting lentil and sausage soup is a hearty blend of protein and fiber-rich French lentils, sausage or kielbasa, carrots, potatoes, winter greens, tomatoes, onions, and garlic. It’s a perfect quick meal for chilly nights when you need a bowl of comfort and a nourishing meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dry French lentils

  • 1 large `1 large yellow onion, chopped

  • 3 cups yukon gold potatoes, diced

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

  • 2 pkgs kielbasa sausages or 1 lb of pork sausage , chopped

  • 1 can 14.5 oz chopped tomatoes, plus water to fill the can

  • 1 sprig rosemary

  • 1 sprig thyme

  • 32 oz low sodium chicken stock or broth

  • 3 cups fresh chopped kale, washed

  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes

  • 1 TBSP olive oil

  • 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated

  • salt and fresh pepper to taste

Directions

  • In a fine sieve, rinse lentils well. Soak lentils for 5 minutes in a bowl of cold water. Set aside.
  • In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 TBSP olive oil. Sauté carrots and onions until onions begin to soften- about 5-6 minutes. Toss in potatoes and coat with olive oil warming them through. Stir in red pepper flakes, ground pepper and fresh herbs- rosemary and thyme. Add in Kielbasa or sausage and stir until well combined. Add in garlic. Sauté another minute.
  • Drain lentils and add them to the pot. Add in tomatoes with their juices. Fill the tomato can with water and pour into soup- this adds more tomato flavor. Add in chicken broth or stock. Bring to a boil for one minute, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes covered or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • After 45 minutes, add in fresh greens. Fish out the stems from the herbs. Check to see if salt is needed. Serve piping hot with freshly grated parmesan on the side to sprinkle over soup.
  • If you use uncooked sausage, brown the sausage before the veggies to render the fat, wipe down your pot to remove most of the fat and then continue on with step 2.

Notes

  • This makes a great quick lunch the next day. Just add in more water or extra broth, a few more veggies or another potato and leftover soup. Bring to a boil, simmer until veggies are fork tender. Drizzle with more olive oil if desired.

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2 Comments

  1. margaret arthur says:

    Looks wonderful!

    1. Meggen Wilson says:

      It’s delicious!