Sausage Lentil Kale Soup

This Sausage Lentil Kale Soup is made with mild Italian chicken sausages, brown lentils, carrots, and kale in a savory tomato based broth!

The time for hearty cold weather comfort food recipes is approaching and I can't think of a better one than this Lentil Sausage Soup. It's just the thing to welcome the arrival of shorter days and cooler weather.

Lentils are one of my favorite all-around ingredients because they can be utilized in so many different ways. One of the best is to add them to soup. Lentils are inexpensive, healthy, and add a great heartiness to just about any dish.

I always keep a supply of brown lentils in my pantry so that I can whip up a batch of hearty soup as soon as the leaves start to turn and then continue to do so throughout the fall and winter months.

This recipe is made with the addition of mild Italian chicken sausages, which provides a rich flavor and more texture to the soup. It's also got lots of carrots, Italian spices, and a savory broth.

It's one of those dishes that I love to smell simmering away in a Dutch oven on the stove top. This soup is comforting and inviting.

Jump to:

• How To Add Flavor To Lentil Soup
• Ingredients For Sausage Lentil Kale Soup
• Which Sausage Is Best For Soup?
• How To Make Lentil Sausage Soup
• Do Lentils Need To Be Rinsed Before Adding To Soup?
• How Long Does Sausage Lentil Soup Take To Cook?
• What To Serve With Sausage Lentil Soup
• How Long Does This Soup Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Sausage Lentil Kale Soup

How To Add Flavor To Lentil Soup

Lentils don't have a ton of flavor on their own, but tend to pick up the flavors of whatever is added to them. This makes them a great addition to soups and stews.

• I start out almost every soup recipe with aromatics like garlic, onions, and celery. The aromatics are sautéed in olive oil and this helps to create a solid base of flavor.
• This lentil soup is made with the addition of mild Italian chicken sausages. The chicken sausage is cut into slices and sautéed in a Dutch oven before the rest of the ingredients are added.
• Sautéing the sausage in olive oil helps to render the fat, which provides the broth with an extra rich flavor. The Italian spices in the sausage and the Italian seasoning added to the broth bump up the flavors as well.
• It's important to season the soup with kosher salt and pepper throughout the cooking process. Properly seasoning the soup will bring out the robust flavors of all the other ingredients and helps to ensure that the soup is not bland.

Carrots are a great ingredient for soups of any kind because they're hearty, filling, and don't become mushy as they cook. They also add a nice sweetness to any soup.

This lentil soup is made with kale, but you can substitute any hearty greens you like. Spinach, Swiss chard, are all great alternatives to kale.

Ingredients For Sausage Lentil Kale Soup

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 1 Onion (any color)
• 4 stalks Celery
• 4-5 large Carrots
• 4 Chicken Sausages (such as mild Italian or spicy Italian) (make sure brand is gluten free if gluten is an issue for you)
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil (split)
• 1 ¼ cup Brown Lentils
• 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 2 cups Crushed Tomatoes (equals 16 oz.)
• 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• 2-3 packed cups Kale (or hearty greens of choice)
• ¾ tsp. each Kosher Salt and Pepper (split)

Which Sausage Is Best For Soup?

I love to use chicken sausage when making soups. Chicken sausage is lower in fat, but every bit as tasty as pork sausage.

You can use any kind of sausage you like such as mild Italian, spicy Italian, andouille or Italian smoked sausages. If you choose to use an uncooked sausage or ground sausage it's important that it cooks thoroughly in the soup!

You can use any type of sausage you like to make this soup, but this will change the nutritional information, such as the amount of fat and sodium in the recipe.

Love chicken sausage? Check out these recipes!

• Butternut Squash Sausage Soup
• Chicken Sausage Kale Pasta
• Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage
• Cauliflower Sausage Pasta

How To Make Lentil Sausage Soup

I love to cook soups like this one in a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot. It's important to have a soup pot large enough to fit all of the ingredients.

When cooking soups, it's best to chop all of the ingredients ahead of time so that they can be added to the soup pot in the correct order. It helps to streamline the process and makes for easier cleanup.

1. Start by mincing 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion (any color).
2. Finely chop 4 stalks of celery.
3. Peel and cut 4-5 large carrots into slices, making sure that they are relatively the same size to ensure that they cook evenly.
4. Roughly chop 2-3 packed cups of kale (or hearty greens of choice).
5. On a separate cutting board, cut 4 chicken sausages (or sausages of choice) into slices.

The chicken sausage is sautéed in some olive oil before adding the rest of the ingredients, which helps to render the fat and ensures that it cooks thoroughly.

The sausage is then removed from the soup pot and set aside until later in the cooking process. The aromatics are then sautéed in the fat rendered from the sausage.

Do Lentils Need To Be Rinsed Before Adding To Soup?

It's entirely up to you if you'd like to rinse the lentils before adding them to the soup. Rinsing lentils is not necessary, but it can help to remove any dirt or debris.

If you prefer to rinse the lentils, simply run them under cold water for a few seconds before adding them to the soup.

It is also not necessary to soak the lentils beforehand.

This recipe uses brown lentils. They're probably the most common lentils available in most supermarkets. They are usually found in the dry goods section of the grocery store or in the bulk section of your local food coop.

Be sure to check labels when purchasing lentils. Lentils are naturally gluten free, but some brands are processed in facilities that also process wheat so it's always best to check first if gluten is an issue for you.

1. Place a cast iron Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot on the stove top and heat to medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the pot.
2. Once the oil is hot (the sausages should sizzle as they hit the oil), add the sliced chicken sausages to the Dutch oven. Sauté the sausages for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sausages will brown a bit on the outside and some of the fat will render into the soup pot.
3. Remove the sausages from the Dutch oven and set aside, leaving the fat and brown bits in the pot.
4. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil to the pot, along with the minced garlic, onions, and celery. Sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring often.
5. Add the chopped carrots, along with ½ tsp. kosher salt and pepper. Sauté for another 5-6 minutes, stirring often and scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spatula.
6. Add 1 ¼ cups brown lentils and sauté for 1 minute, or until completely coated in the olive oil.
7. Add 6 cups low sodium chicken broth, 2 cups (equals 16 oz.) crushed tomatoes, 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, and ¼ tsp. each kosher salt and pepper to the pot. Stir until combined.
8. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a medium-low boil, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

How Long Does Sausage Lentil Soup Take To Cook?

In general, the brown lentils in this Sausage Lentil Kale Soup take 30-40 minutes to cook on a low boil.

The lentils should be tender, but not mushy when finished cooking. It's important that they are cooked on a medium-low boil to ensure that they cook evenly and do not turn into mush, which can be the case if cooked at a high temperature.

The carrots will also be soft, but not mushy when cooked. The lentils and carrots have roughly the same cooking time.

This soup simmers on the stove top covered for 30 minutes. The rest of the ingredients are then added and it continues to simmer for another 10 minutes.

1. After 30 minutes, return the sautéed sausages and 2-3 packed cups of kale (or hearty greens of choice) back to the Dutch oven. It will look like a lot but the greens cook down quite a bit.
2. Stir until incorporated, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes on a medium-low boil.

Cooking times may vary slightly. Feel free to cook a few extra minutes if necessary, until the lentils and carrots are tender, but not mushy and the kale wilted.

What To Serve With Sausage Lentil Soup

This soup is definitely hearty enough to be served on its own but I always love soups served alongside a loaf of French bread or a slice of freshly baked no knead bread.

These cheddar chive scones or buttermilk biscuits are perfect for sopping up any extra broth.

Italian soups are delicious topped with some freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago, or Romano cheese. Feel free to grate some on top of the soup before serving.

Fresh herbs such as chives, basil, or parsley make for a tasty garnish.

If you're looking to pair this Sausage Lentil Kale Soup with another dish, check out this Mediterranean veggie flatbread or Italian mozzarella grilled cheese sandwich.

Love hearty soups? Check out these recipes!

• Harvest Vegetable Soup
• Kale and Carrot Soup
• Chunky Italian Vegetable Soup
• Winter Root Vegetable Soup
• Roasted Carrot Soup
• Dutch Oven Chicken Noodle Soup
• One Pot Wild Rice Turkey Soup
• Fennel Sausage Kale Soup

How Long Does This Soup Last In The Fridge?

This soup should last 3-4 days stored in airtight containers in the fridge.

Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring to the refrigerator for storage.

Can It Be Frozen?

This soup makes an excellent freezer meal!

It’s always nice to have a pre-made soup like this one on hand in the freezer when things get extra busy and hectic in life.

How To Freeze

1. Prepare the soup according to the recipe and allow to cool completely.
2. Once cooled, place the soup in heavy-duty freezer bags or freezer-safe containers labeled with the date.
3. Store up to 3 months in the freezer.

How To Thaw

1. Place the containers of frozen soup in the fridge for 24 hours to thaw.
2. Place the soup in a Dutch Oven or soup pan and add ½ cup of water or chicken broth and heat thoroughly.

Love lentils? Check out these recipes!

• Hearty Lentil Soup
• Instant Pot Green Lentils
• Instant Pot Spinach Lentil Soup
• Cauliflower Lentil Soup

Looking For More Hearty Lentil Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Lentil Bolognese Sauce

Lentil Sloppy Joes

Instant Pot Curry Lentils