This Italian sausage lentil soup is hearty and flavorful. It’s loaded with Italian sausage, carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, and spinach.
Lentils are great, they don’t require soaking, and they cook quickly (by bean standards anyway). They also pair nicely with other ingredients like in this chicken lentil soup or this lentil potato soup. And for a wholesome meal try this Cuban style lentils that’s loaded with smoked ham and vegetables.
Ingredients
- Lentils – It is best to use brown or green lentils because other varieties (red, yellow, black) will cook too quickly, break down, and will not get us the thick consistency we want. To learn more, check out this post on how to cook lentils.
- Oil – We use olive oil, however any oil that is suitable for sautéing will work. Use your favorite.
- Meat – Use mild or hot Italian sausage with the casings removed. Or use bulk sausage.
- Vegetables – Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic make a flavor base. Potatoes and spinach make this meal filling and wholesome.
- Herbs and spices – The seasoning is simple with dried oregano and black pepper. Salt may be needed at the end.
- Liquid – We use water and chicken broth, if you want to use only broth watch the salt. If you must use only water add flavor by adding chicken base and/or adjusting the seasonings.
- See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Instructions
Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the pot and cook for 5 minutes to brown. Stir frequently and break it up using a wooden spoon or spatula.
When the sausage has browned, lower the heat to medium and add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables with the sausage for 2-3 minutes, stir frequently.
Add the garlic, oregano, and black pepper. Stir to mix well, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stir often.
Add the lentils, chicken broth and water to the pot, stir. Then, raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil (this will take 5-6 minutes).
When the liquid is boiling lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook the lentils for 15 minutes or until they start to soften. Stir occasionally and keep the broth at a simmer; raise or lower the heat as needed.
Add the potatoes. Bring the liquid back to a boil, then lower the heat and cover. Cook the soup for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and the lentils are tender.
Add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we added 1 teaspoon to ours.
The cooking time will depend on how tender you like the lentils. If you like them with a little bite in the middle (al dente) cook until the potatoes are just tender. If you like them fall-apart tender cook them longer.
Serve the Italian lentil sausage soup with a side salad or a piece of crusty bread if desired and enjoy.
Recipe tips
- Pick through the lentils and remove any foreign objects (such as tiny rocks). Don’t skip this step, I have found small stones in my lentils. Put them in a large colander or a clean, flat surface and carefully sort through them.
- Remove the sausage from its casings. Use a sharp knife tip and run it along the sausage lengthwise. Remove the casing and tear the sausage into small pieces. This will make it much easier to break up the sausage in the pot.
- Leave the skin on the potatoes it cuts down on prep time and red and yellow have thin skins, so the texture is not a problem.
- Hold off on adding extra salt to the soup until the end because the Italian sausage and the chicken broth both contain salt. Use reduced sodium broth if you are sensitive to salt.
Storing and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze 2-3 months. Reheat the lentil soup in a saucepan or the microwave until heated through and steamy (to a temperature of at least 165°F).
For more information on food storage and safety guidelines visit U.S. Department of Agriculture and foodsafety.gov.
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📖 Recipe
Italian Sausage Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound Italian Sausage casings removed and torn into pieces, or use bulk sausage
- 1 Small Onion finely diced
- 1 large Carrot Diced
- 1 Celery Rib Diced
- 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 12 ounces Dried Lentils sorted, rinsed, and drained
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 4 cups Water
- 2 cups Diced Red Potatoes about 2 medium potatoes
- 3-4 ounces Spinach
- Salt if needed at the end
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the pot and cook for 5 minutes to brown. Stir frequently and break it up using a wooden spoon or spatula.
- When the sausage has browned, lower the heat to medium and add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook the vegetables with the Italian sausage for 2-3 minutes, stir frequently.
- Add the garlic, oregano, and black pepper. Stir to mix well, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stir often.
- Add the lentils, chicken broth and water to the pot, stir. Then, raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil (this will take 5-6 minutes).
- When the liquid is boiling lower the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook the lentils for 15 minutes or until they start to soften. Stir occasionally and keep the broth at a simmer; raise or lower the heat as needed.
- Add the potatoes to the pot. Raise the heat and bring the liquid back to a boil (about 2 minutes). As soon as it starts to boil, lower the heat to medium-low and cover.
- Cook the soup for another 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and the lentils are tender. The cooking time will depend on how tender you like the lentils. If you like them with a little bite in the middle (al dente) cook until the potatoes are just tender. If you like them fall-apart tender cook them longer.
- Add the spinach and stir until it wilts.
- Taste and add salt if needed. As a reference we added 1 teaspoon to ours.
- Serve with a side salad or a piece of crusty bread if desired and enjoy.
Notes
- Pick through the lentils and remove any foreign objects (such as tiny rocks). Don't skip this step. I have found small stones in my lentils.
- Hold off on adding extra salt to the soup until the end because the Italian sausage and the chicken broth both contain salt. Use reduced sodium broth if you are sensitive to salt.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Jessica
Delicious! This is a great, easy recipe, with the classic Italian flavors. The only thing I'll change for myself next time is to add some salt when the broth & lentils go in. My particular sausage & broth weren't too salty, and I thought the potatoes & lentils themselves came out a little bland. I know
everyone's tastes vary.
Linda
I liked it alot. I did use the whole pound of lentils and extra carrots.
Elizabeth
Hi Linda, Sounds delicious! Happy to hear you enjoyed it.
Lynn
This was absolutely delicious! Easy and so good! This will be my go-to recipe for lentils. I used only chicken broth rather than chicken broth and water. Needed no salt! Very, very good.
Margie Hawkins
I just made this soup and we really enjoyed it, great flavour! For some reason my broth was not creamy like yours and not the colour of yours. Any idea what I may have done wrong?
Elizabeth
Hi Margie,
The broth thickens when the lentils breakdown. If you like the lentils al dente, then the broth will not be as thick. The color could be the lentils, as they break down they make the broth darker, it could also be the type of broth used or even the sausage. If you make it again, let the lentils cook more and you'll end up with a thicker consistency. I hope this helps, thank you for stopping by!
Lucy
I’ve made this soup and it’s delicious.. Thanks for sharing
Enza
This is the best lentil soup I’ve had! Can’t wait to make it again!
Elizabeth
Hi Enza,
Thank you, that's very kind. It's a favorite here too!
Xiomy
This is so delicious!!!! Do not add salt until the end, it really doesn't need it. I didn't read the whole recipe, added salt and almost ruined. I was able to fix it with more water, and even though I had to add three extra cups of water it was so flavorful. I will definitely be making this again.
Vivian Colemire
This soup looks amazing and I will be making it. I live sausage and lentil soup!
Elizabeth
Hi Vivian,
Thanks for stopping by, let me know how it turns out.
Cathy May
Can you use any type of lentils?
Elizabeth
Hi Cathy,
For this recipe it's best to stick to brown, green or French lentils, they hold their shape better than red/yellow lentils. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!
Alta
Very good. A hit on a chilly day. I made a small batch.