Description
A hearty Lentil Sausage Soup packed with savory sausage, nutritious lentils, and a blend of flavorful seasonings simmered in rich chicken and beef broth. This comforting soup features vegetables, tomato paste, and a touch of Worcestershire and hot sauce for depth, perfect for a satisfying meal any time of year.
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 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
Instructions
- Cook the Sausage: Remove casings if using sausage links. Heat a large pot over medium heat, add sausage and cook while crumbling until halfway cooked. Partially cover and stir occasionally until fully cooked, about 10-12 minutes total. Transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve 1 tablespoon drippings.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the reserved sausage drippings and 2 tablespoons butter to the pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, celery, and carrots, cooking for 4 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add Flour and Tomato Paste: Stir in the flour and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to form a roux.
- Add Broths: Gradually add chicken and beef broths in splashes, scraping the bottom of the pot with a silicone spatula to incorporate browned bits and enhance flavor.
- Season and Simmer Lentils: Stir in Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lentils, bay leaf, and all dried seasonings. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, partially cover, and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine and Final Simmer: Return cooked sausage to the pot and add drained diced tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add water or broth to thin if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
- Chopped kale or spinach can be added during the last 5 minutes (kale) or last 3 minutes (spinach) for extra greens.
- Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and mustard powder enhance flavor without making the soup spicy.
- Use low sodium broth if preferred since sausage adds salt.
- For a brothier soup, reduce sausage to 0.5 or 0.75 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 don't suit this recipe.
- For slow cooker method, brown sausage separately. Melt butter in the Crock Pot, add vegetables and tomato paste, toss to coat. Add all ingredients except drippings and flour, then cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 7-8 hours.
- Opening the crock pot during cooking will extend cooking time by at least 30 minutes due to heat loss.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
