Spicy Sausage Lentil Soup (Printable Version)

A flavorful dish combining spicy sausage, lentils, and kale in a rich tomato broth.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 12 oz spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 4 cups kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

→ Legumes

07 - 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes with juices
10 - 2 cups water

→ Spices and Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Oils

17 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Remove excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in minced garlic, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add lentils, diced tomatoes with juices, broth, water, and bay leaf. Stir well to combine.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until lentils are tender.
06 - Remove the bay leaf. Stir in chopped kale and simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes until kale is wilted and tender.
07 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in an hour but tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
  • The spicy sausage does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you don't need fancy ingredients or techniques.
  • One pot means less cleanup when you're tired and hungry.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the lentils or you'll end up with grit in your teeth, which I learned the hard way and never forgot.
  • The bay leaf needs to come out or someone will crunch into it, and that's not the surprise anyone wants.
  • This soup tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had time to get to know each other in the fridge.
03 -
  • If your sausage is particularly fatty, don't drain all the fat right away—some of it is flavor, and a little bit helps everything taste richer and more complete.
  • Taste the broth before adding salt because the sausage and low-sodium broth already contribute quite a bit, and it's easy to oversalt.
Return