Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup
Make a big batch of this sausage lentil soup to enjoy now and freeze some for later. You can adjust the spicy level by changing up the sausage seasonings easily.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds bulk sausage hot, mild, or sweet, or a mix
- 1 (16 - 18 oz) bag of dried green lentils
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 onions chopped
- 4 large carrots chopped
- 6 celery stalks chopped
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp Bavarian seasoning blend Or substitute 1 tsp each rosemary, sage, thyme, & 1/2 tsp dried mustard seeds and a bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried basil
- Sprinkle of cayenne pepper or more, to taste
- 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can of tomato sauce
- 3 quarts of chicken stock + 2-3 cups water
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2-4 additional cups of water as needed
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown and crumble the bulk sausage. Break it up into small pieces as it cooks. Sauté until the sausage is nicely browned and toasted. Drain the fat and set the sausage aside.
- Thoroughly rinse and drain the dried lentils in a colander and set aside.
- In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and add a sprinkle of salt & pepper. Stir to combine. Sauté the veggies until the onions are softened and translucent.
- Add the garlic and the seasonings to the veggie mix and stir to combine. Heat for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and tomato sauce, and stir to combine thoroughly with the veggies.
- Add the reserved sausage and lentils to the pot and stir to combine with the veggies. Pour in the chicken stock and water and stir. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and then reduce the heat to low.
- Let the soup simmer for 2 hours stirring every 10 minutes or so to be sure nothing is sticking or burning on the bottom of the pot. Add 2 - 4 cups of water as needed when the broth becomes too thick.
Recipe Notes
We like this soup spicy so I used 2 pounds of hot bulk sausage. To make it more kid friendly, use 1 pound hot and 1 pound sweet and go lightly with the cayenne pepper.