Mom’s lentil and Italian sausage soup: A filling soup of green lentils and Italian sausage (mild or spicy).
Originally Posted: Jan. 28, 2025
Total Time: 15 minutes prep, 45 – 60 minutes total
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Another of my mom’s recipes from when I was growing up, this is a healthy and hearty soup for the cold months. It’s so ingrained in my memories that just tasting another dish with Italian sausage (or even fennel) makes me crave this soup.
Lentil soups are found worldwide, being a favorite staple for many cultures. Lentils
If you really like sausage, I would also recommend my Pumpkin-Sausage Soup.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Lentils, dry, packaged
- 1 lb. Italian Sausage (sweet or spicy)
- 1 White Onion, peeled and diced
- 3 Roma Tomatoes, peeled and chopped (or 1 can of chopped tomatoes)
- 2 – 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Oregano
- 1 tsp Fennel Seed, optional (Italian sausage usually already has fennel seed in it, but if you want extra fennel flavor, I would add this)
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 32oz Chicken Stock
- Water (or stock) to cover lentils by 1in.
- Plus more water as it cooks, if needed
- Note: Just using water and a bouillon powder or a bouillon paste like Better Than Bouillon is a good way to accomplish this step
- Oil, as needed (maybe 1 Tbsp)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Equipment
- Large Pot
- Skillet
Written Instructions
Total Time: 15 minutes prep, 45 – 60 minutes total
Start by rinsing lentils and removing any rocks (an annoying but necessary step in some lentils). Next, add to a large pot along with stock, water, or stock/water mixture until the lentils are covered by about 1 inch. Water and bouillon powder or bouillon paste is a good way to accomplish this.
In a skillet, heat about 1 Tbsp of oil, and then sauté the diced onion, chopped tomatoes, and garlic, adding the oregano as well. You can also add the optional fennel seed if you like, though most Italian sausage will already have fennel seed as part of the flavoring. Sauté until the onions are softened, then add the tomatoes and onions to the pot with the lentils.
Add sausage to the skillet and cook until browned. Once this is done, add the contents of the skillet to the pot with the lentils.
Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partially covering the pot with the lid. Simmer the soup for 30 to 45 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
Once finished, add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and stir that in. Serve with crusty bread if you like.
Lentil & Italian Sausage Soup
Equipment
- 1 Stock Pot or Dutch Oven
- 1 Skillet
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb. Lentils dry, packaged
- 1 lb. Italian Sausage mild or spicy
- 1 White Onion, peeled and diced
- 3 Roma Tomatoes, peeled and diced (or 1 can chopped tomatoes)
- 2 – 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Oregano dried
- 1 tsp Fennel Seed optional, but I definitely suggest this for spicy sausage
- 2 Bay Leaves
Liquids
- 32 oz Chicken Stock
- Water (or stock), enough to cover lentils by one inch
- Plus more water as it cooks down
- Note: Just using water and a bouillon powder or a bouillon paste like Better Than Bouillon is a good way to accomplish this step
- Note: I think I wound up adding 5 cups of liquid in addition to the initial 32oz, so 32oz + 40oz = 72oz of liquid total
Other Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Oil as needed, for sauteing ingredients
- Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse lentils and remove any small rocks, if necessary.
- Add lentils to a large pot, then fill with either chicken stock, water, or a mixture of the two until the liquid comes to about 1 inch above the lentils. I find that water and Better Then Bouillon is an easy way to accomplish this.Note: By the end of the cooking process, I think I had added a total of 72oz (or 9 cups, or 2.12L) of liquid to the pot. Add as you go though; lentils might have different absorption rates, especially if you've soaked them beforehand.
- In a skillet, heat some oil and add diced onion, chopped tomatoes, and garlic. Add the oregano and optional fennel now as well, then cook until onions are softened. Add to pot.
- Add Italian sausage to skillet and cook until browned. Add to pot.
- Once all ingredients have been added to the pot, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until the lentils are soft.
- Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste, then stir it all into the soup.
- Serve, perhaps with some crusty bread on the side.