Lentil and Andouille Sausage Soup

This lentil and andouille sausage soup is hearty, easy to make and delicious. The lentil soup is going to get most of its flavor from the andouille sausage so we can keep the list of ingredients to a minimum.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword andouille sausage, hot sausage, lentil recipes, lentils

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 465kcal

Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion finely diced (use yellow or white onion)
1 Large Carrot diced
1 Celery Rib diced
3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
12 ounces Andouille Sausage cut into bit sized pieces (use a fully cooked variety)
12 ounces Dried Lentils sorted, rinsed and drained
8 cups Chicken Broth
Salt to taste if needed at the end

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. When the olive oil is hot, but not smoking, add the onions, carrots and celery. Cook the vegetables for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften and become translucent. Stir frequently.
Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute, stirring almost constantly.
Add the andouille sausage to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the lentils and chicken broth. Stir to combine the ingredients well, while gently scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot.
Raise the heat to high and let the broth come to a boil (it will take about 5 minutes to boil). Then, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.
Cook the lentils for 25-40 minutes, or until they reach the desired tenderness. (As a reference we cooked ours for 35 minutes.) Stir occasionally and keep them at a simmer, lower or raise the heat as needed.
Taste the lentils and add salt if needed. As a reference, we did not add extra salt to ours.
Serve the andouille sausage lentil soup with white rice or a generous piece of bread.

Notes

Andouille sausage is spicy. Substitute with smoked sausage or a polska kielbasa, if desired. Make sure the sausage you use is a fully cooked variety.
It is important to sort the lentils looking for foreign objects such as small stones. Don’t skip this step, I frequently find small rocks in the lentils, so pick through them thoroughly.
If you prefer your lentils al-dente, check them after 20-25 minutes. If you like them on the soft side, cook them longer.
If you want the soup to thicken, half-cover the pot for some of the cooking time. Stir the lentils occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot especially as they start to thicken.
If you are sensitive to salt use low-sodium chicken broth and adjust the salt at the end if needed.

Nutrition