Sausage and Lentil Soup
This tasty Sausage and Lentil Soup has roasted red pepper, and I love how spicy Italian Sausage adds flavor to this soup! And this recipe doesn’t use many lentils so it’s lower in carbs than you might think!
PIN Sausage and Lentil Soup to try it later!
Right now the entire east coast of the U.S. is snowed in, so it seems like soup is a good menu choice for lots of people. And even though there’s not snow at my house I’m glad I just updated the photos and I have some of this Sausage and Lentil Soup in the freezer!
I did change the recipe slightly for this update, using a whole package (19.5 oz.) of turkey Italian sausage which makes this a more carb-conscious recipe. Lentils are high in fiber too, so I think this soup would be a good choice for some low-carb eaters with that change, although it’s probably not suitable for people who are strictly limiting carbs. And more sausage, mmm. I love all the flavors in this soup, hope you enjoy.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- turkey or pork Italian Sausage
- olive oil
- onion
- brown lentils
- chicken broth or homemade chicken
- ground fennel (affiliate link), do not leave out
- Dried Thyme (affiliate link)
- Dried Sage (affiliate link)
- Roasted Red Peppers in a jar (affiliate link)
What kind of red pepper can you use?
I use roasted red pepper from a jar, which made this soup quick and easy to get on the table! You can also use diced fresh red bell peppers, and add them a bit earlier in the cooking time.
Can you use red lentils for this soup?
I love red lentils in soup and if you wanted to use them in this recipe they would cook a bit more quickly than the brown ones.
More Tasty Soup with Lentils:
Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup
Lentil Soup with Ground Beef
Lentil, Sausage, and Cabbage Soup
How to make Sausage and Lentil Soup:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Brown the sausage well and put it in the soup pot. I recommend gluten-free Jenni-O Turkey Italian Sausage for this soup, but use pork sausage if you prefer. Use either sweet or hot Italian sausage, whichever you prefer.
- Then brown the onions and add to the soup pot with the chicken stock, lentils, ground fennel (affiliate link), Dried Thyme (affiliate link), and Dried Sage (affiliate link).
- Drain the roasted red peppers while the soup simmers until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.
- When the lentils are tender, chop the Roasted Red Peppers in a jar (affiliate link) and add to the soup.
- Then let soup let it simmer about 45 minutes more, or until lentils are as soft as you prefer and flavors are well blended.
- Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper and serve hot.
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Sausage and Lentil Soup
Sausage and Lentil Soup is one of my favorite lentil soups, and this makes a great cold weather meal. And there's a lot of sausage and red peppers and not too many lentils, so check the nutritional information to see what you think!
Ingredients
- 1 package (19.5 oz.) turkey Italian Sausage (see notes)
- 2 tsp. olive oil (or more, depending on your pan)
- 1 onion, diced into small pieces
- 1 cup brown lentils
- 6 cups chicken broth (see notes)
- 2 tsp. ground fennel (do not leave out)
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. rubbed sage (dried)
- 1 12 oz. jar roasted red peppers
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan, add Italian sausage and brown well, breaking sausage into pieces as it cooks. (I like to use an old-fashioned Potato Masher (affiliate link) to break the meat apart.)
- Add sausage to soup pot.
- In same pan, adding more oil if needed, brown onions until softened and barely starting to brown.
- Add onions to soup pot.
- Rinse out pan with 1 cup homemade chicken stock , then add to soup pot along with rest of stock, lentils, ground fennel, thyme, and sage.
- Cook at lowest possible simmer for about 45 minutes, until lentils are softened, but still holding their shape.
- Drain the roasted red peppers while the soup simmers, then chop into pieces about 1/2 inch square.
- Add red pepper to soup and cook about 45 minutes more (adding a little more stock or water if needed), until some lentils are starting to fall apart and all flavors are well blended.
- Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper and serve hot.
Notes
Use turkey or pork Italian sausage. whichever you prefer. Use sweet or hot Italian sausage.
If you don't have homemade stock, use 3 cans chicken broth plus a little water.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 147Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 1019mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 4gSugar: 5gProtein: 8g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This soup has a lot of sausage and red peppers and only a small amount of lentils, so check nutritional information to see if the net carbs are low enough for you. With turkey Italian Sausage, this would be acceptable for any phase of the original South Beach Diet and it’s also great for other low-glycemic eating plans.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for This Recipe:
This delicious lentil soup was first posted in 2007 and I’ve enjoyed it many times since then. Photos were updated January 2015, and the recipe was last updated with more information and a lower-carb version in 2021.
35 Comments on “Sausage and Lentil Soup”
Hi Kalyn! This recipe has been a staple for me for years, but I changed! Any chance you have the old one to share with the tomatoes? Thanks so much! I’ve adopted your method from this soup for other soups (taking a portion out and blending and then re adding). It’s the best!
Hi Sarah,
I am sending an e-mail with a link for the recipe I think you’re looking for!
Cheers, Kalyn
Help! Never cooked lentils before. 2 questions:
Do I need to rinse and soak the lentils before adding them to the recipe?
Where do you find brown lentils? I looked at several grocery stores. They have every other color. Can you substitute with a bag called lentils? Some look green some look light brown (maybe?) Thank you soooo much
There is no need to soak lentils before cooking, but I usually rinse to remove dust and pick them over. (Sometimes they even have little rocks in them.) Brown/green lentils are pretty much interchangeable. I’m sure any bag that just says lentils is going to be fine! Hope you enjoy!
The fennel makes all the difference! Very tasty.
Thanks, so glad you enjoyed it. I love ground fennel; such a good flavor!
Thanks CJ, I love, love, love this soup. I need to make it again soon.
The pics look amazing as is!! Thanks for this one. I love using lentils, but it can be hard to find good recipes that don't involve curry flavors. DBF isn't the biggest curry fan, and I grow tired of it after awhile. We'll definitely be trying this one!
Great idea to add the kale. And I really want to take new photos for this soup!
So yummy, I also added a handful of baby kale in the last 7 minutes to add a few more vitamins :). Filling and perfect for a cold day.
Kendra, so glad you like it. I love ground fennel!
I've made this soup twice now and LOVE it. I tried it before adding fennel, by the way, and it does make a big difference. It's so delicious! What's more, my four year old AND one year old love it!
Amanda, so glad you're enjoying it!
I've made this soup about 4 times now and it's delicious and savoury every time. I freeze portions to bring for lunch. Thanks Kalyn.
You're welcome; I'm glad you enjoyed it!