Lentil Sausage Soup with Kale

It’s time to get cozy with this savory, hearty, and comforting Lentil Sausage Soup with Kale bursting with tender chunks of vegetables and juicy Italian sausage. You’ll never have to worry about the phrase “No soup for you” with this easy recipe the entire family will love.

Lentil Sausage Soup with Kale

Soup season is in full effect even if it’s in the 80’s here in Florida. It’s all about that time of year when we want something comforting but also completely effortless. There are soups that take a little more work like Italian Wedding Soup, and then there are more quick cooking soups like this lentil sausage soup recipe. Combining fresh ingredients with pantry staples like canned tomatoes and dried lentils, you can easily have this on the table in about an hour.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Sausage and Lentil Soup
  • Make Ahead – Make this soup on a Sunday and enjoy it all week long for easy lunches and quick dinners. It is even better the next day. This soup also freezes well and easily reheats on the stove.
  • Customizable – You can swap out any of the vegetables for your favorites and what you have on hand. The sausage is even customizable to what you like from pork sausage to even plant-based Italian sausage.
  • Balance of Flavors – Savory, a little spicy, a little bright, this soup hits all of the flavor happy notes.

Ingredients

Sausage and Lentil Soup with Kale
  • Sausage – Fresh Italian sausage packs a ton of flavor in a single ingredient. You can use either hot or mild, or a combination of both. Pork, turkey, and chicken sausage all work well in this recipe as well as plant-based sausage.
  • Vegetables – The classic mirepoix of onions, celery, and carrots is joined by sweet leeks, aromatic garlic, and sweet and smoky fire roasted tomatoes. Kale finishes this soup off at the end along with fresh parsley.
  • Flavor Enhancers – White wine adds sunny brightness along with a squeeze of lemon at the end. A Parmigiano-Reggiano rind adds nutty saltiness and Worcestershire gives instant umami.
  • Lentils – Use brown or green lentils for this recipe for the best texture. They hold up the best to simmering soup while red lentils tend to fall apart. Green lentils are a little hardier and will take a little longer to cook.

How to Make Lentil Sausage Soup with Kale

  • Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove the sausage from its casing and break up into the pot. Use your spoon to continue breaking up the sausage as it browns. Once golden remove from the pot and allow it to drain on a paper towel lined plate.
  • Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and leeks. Season with salt, crushed red pepper, and dried oregano. Let the vegetables sauté until the onions are translucent and the carrots and celery are tender-crisp, about five minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
  • Deglaze the pan with white wine. Make sure to scrape up any of the brown bits from the pot. Let the wine cook for one minute.
  • Add the sausage back into the pot along with the bay leaves, fire-roasted tomatoes, parmesan rind, Worcestershire sauce, and broth. Stir to combine. Let the soup come to a boil.
  • Once the soup is boiling stir in the lentils. Turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Allow it to simmer for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables and lentils are tender.
  • Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind from the soup and stir in the kale. Allow the kale to cook until wilted, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in the fresh parsley and lemon juice. Top with extra crushed red pepper flakes and serve with lemon wedges.

Variations & Substitutions

Lentil Sausage Soup
  • If you don’t cook with alcohol feel free to leave out the white wine.
  • This recipe can be made completely vegetarian. Use vegetable broth and your favorite plant-based sausage along with vegetarian Worcestershire sauce.
  • Swap the Tuscan kale for spinach.
  • Add your favorite vegetables. Diced potatoes, zucchini, and mushrooms are all great additions.
  • For a thinner soup add additional broth.

How to Store Sausage and Lentil Soup

  • This lentil and sausage soup makes for great leftovers and also meal prep. Allow it to cool and then transfer it to air tight containers. It will keep in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
  • You can also freeze this sausage and lentil soup. Let it cool completely and then transfer it to freezer safe bags making sure to let out all of the excess air. It will last for up to three months in the freezer.

Tips From the Beach

Sausage Lentil Soup with Kale
  • For the best texture, use green, brown, or French lentils. Red and yellow lentils have a softer texture and will break apart in the soup.
  • Save those Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds! They add an instant boost of depth and flavor to soups, stews, and tomato sauces. Keep them frozen in freezer safe bag.

Looking for more soup recipes? Make sure to check out Roasted Poblano Corn Chowder.

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Lentil Sausage Soup with Kale

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It’s time to get cozy with this savory, hearty, and comforting Lentil Sausage Soup with Kale bursting with tender chunks of vegetables and juicy Italian sausage.

  • Author: Nicole Stover
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 60
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6-8 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Simmering
  • Cuisine: America

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings
  • 1 large sweet onion, diced
  • 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 leeks, thinly chopped, white and light green only
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
  • 1/3 cup dry white wine
  • 14.5 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 810 cups chicken broth
  • 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind
  • 23 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 cups dried brown or green lentils
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale, stems removed chopped
  • 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley chopped, plus extra for serving
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice plus extra for serving
  • Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and use your wooden spoon to break it up in the pan. Allow it to cook until golden brown. Remove from the pot and allow it to drain on a paper towel lined plate.
  2. Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and leeks. Season with a pinch of kosher salt and add the red pepper flakes and oregano. Allow the vegetables to cook until tender crisp and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
  4. Pour the wine in, making sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Let cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the sausage back into the pot. Add the broth, fire roasted tomatoes, bay leaves, parm rind, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine. Allow it to come to a boil.
  6. Stir in the lentils. Turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Allow the soup to cook for 30-40 minutes until the vegetables and lentils are tender.
  7. Remove the parm rind and bay leaves. Stir in the kale. let cook for 10-15 minutes until the kale is wilted and tender.
  8. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
  9. Serve with lemon wedges, extra parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes if desired.

Notes

  1. You can use mild or spicy Italian sausage or a combination. Both turkey and chicken sausage work in this recipe along with your favorite plant-based sausage.
  2. To make this vegetarian use vegetable broth, vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, and plant-based sausage. 
  3. For a more stew like texture use 8 cups of broth. For a brothier soup use 10.

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