This hearty Lentil Soup recipe with sausage and kale will warm you up and keep you wanting more! It’s the perfect hearty soup for chilly winter days.
PS – Want an even quicker way to make this soup? Try my Instant Pot Lentil Soup.
Growing up, we ate a lot of processed foods – Hamburger Helper, Macaroni & Cheese, Lunchables. Somehow I survived… I also ate a lot of canned soup. The lentil soup from Progresso was one of my favorites. I recently tried it again… Ummm… Huh… (scratching head). How did I survive?
Time to step things up a notch – Let’s give that lentil soup an upgrade.
I amped up the flavors in this homemade lentil soup by adding some Italian sausage and baby kale.
The end result? This homemade Lentil Sausage Soup is SO much better than the stuff from the can! I mean, SO much better…
This is a flavor bomb of a soup.
It’s so, so good you guys!
How to make lentil soup with sausage:
- Sauté the sausage. Cook until meat crumbles and begins to brown.
- Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add stock, lentils, red pepper flakes, tomatoes and stir.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add kale and vinegar. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
- Enjoy!
Instant pot lentil soup variations:
- Vegan Lentil Soup: Leave out the sausage and swap the chicken broth for vegetable stock. You could add in 1 pound of diced potatoes too.
- Lentil Soup with Ham: Swap out the sausage for 1 1/2 cups cooked & cubed ham. Add it when the stock and lentils go in.
- Lentil Soup with Bacon: Swap out the sausage for 6 strips of thick bacon cut into 1/2″ pieces. Brown it using the sauté function as you would with the sausage.
- Red Lentil Soup: Swap the green lentils for red lentils. The cook time will remain the same, but your soup will be a bit more creamy as the red lentils will break down more.
- Want it quicker? You can also make this instant pot lentil soup.
How to store and reheat lentil soup:
- To Store: Store in a tightly covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Reheat: Gently reheat on the stove over medium-low heat until hot. You can also microwave the leftovers.
- To Freeze: Store in a tightly sealed container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
What goes well with lentil soup?
- Crostini (for sopping up all that yummy soup)
- Arugula Salad Recipe {EASY + Delicious}
- Apple Slaw with Celery Root
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Mustard & Parmesan
- Vegan Caesar Salad
Have you made any upgrades to some of your favorite childhood foods? I’d love to hear in the comments below.
Wine pairings for lentil soup with sausage:
- Medium-bodied, rustic wines like Chianti, Cotes du Rhone, and Sangiovese have earthy, spicy flavors that echo those in the Italian sausage and lentils.
If you loved this Lentil Soup with Sausage recipe I would appreciate it so much if you would give it star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings & Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
More lentil recipes:
- Lentil Bolognese Sauce
- Instant Pot Lentils
- Chipotle Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Cheesy Southwestern Lentils & Brown Rice
More soup recipes:
- Smoky Chipotle Potato Cheese Soup
- Hungarian Mushroom Soup with Fresh Dill
- Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Chipotle
- Easy Tomato Bisque
- Avgolemono Soup (Lemon Chicken Soup with Dill)
Lentil Soup with Sausage Recipe
Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion (diced)
- 2 celery stalks (thinly sliced, with leafy tops)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 cups bone broth (or chicken stock)
- 2 cups dried lentils
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 5 cups loosely packed baby kale leaves
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, cook sausage over medium-high heat until the meat crumbles and begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add stock, lentils, red pepper flakes and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rapid simmer, partially cover, and cook until lentils are tender, 30-35 minutes.
- Add kale and simmer, uncovered, until tender, 2-3 minutes, Stir in vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
This looks SO good! I love comfort soups like this during the cold weather months!
Thanks Marlynn – I do too!
This soup looks like a great winter warmer and so hearty!
Haha, I hear you on processed soups! My husband still loves Progresso tomato, but I’m like, eh. I’ve been making a lot of soup from scratch this winter but haven’t tried something like this. Yum!
This soup looks DELICIOUS! My parents actually used to make a lentil soup that is very similar to this, and that’s when my love of lentils started. They’re so underrated, aren’t they? Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thanks Isabel! I love lentils too. I don’t know what it is about them… But they definitely are my favorite in soup!
absolutely perfect for steam up our winter!
Great looking soup! This is perfect for a cold winter evening!
Thank you Marisa – I agree, it’s perfect for chilly nights!
This looks wonderful! Perfect for the freezing cold weather here in Chicago today!!
Best. Soup. I’ve. Ever. Made.
Love it.
Best soup I’ve ever made. Period
Thanks Lisa – I’m so glad you liked it!!! It’s one of my favorites 🙂
I grew up on a lot of processed foods too…there’s no way I could eat like that today. My oldest son, when he was little, had a canned lunch that I won’t mention at a friend’s house and came home and begged me to buy it. I finally did it, and when he ate it, he changed his mind…he actually said something to the effect of “I don’t know why I liked it, it doesn’t really taste very good.” Too funny!
Anyway, this is my kind of soup! I love lentils, and my kids do too! My whole family would love this!
Thanks Michelle! I hope you get a chance to make it for them – I definitely think that this is a kid-friendly soup and secretly healthy 🙂
You mean 5 oz of baby kale right? I’m not sure what 5 cups would actually be, like 8 boxes?
Hi Danielle – Either way. I found that the 5 oz. package when loosely packed came out to about 5 cups. Hope that helps!
Ok, need some advice! I made this and it was delicious! However, my lentils drank up every bit of moisture leaving the consistency to be a sludgy stew. I added double the amount of chicken stock and this still happened. The flavors were wonderful but the texture was off. Any suggestions on how to avoid this? I really want to make it again!