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Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage

Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage

Italian Lentil Soup with Sausage is thick and hearty with lentils, Italian sausage, vegetables and spices in a rich broth.
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10 -12 Servings
Calories: 269kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried lentils
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 1 medium fennel trimmed and bulb chopped
  • 3 medium carrots chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 pound ground pork Italian sausage
  • 1 can 6 oz tomato paste
  • 1 cup water or broth
  • 6 cups chicken broth homemade if possible
  • 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Sort through the brown lentils to remove any small pebbles. Rinse in cold water, drain and reserve.
  • Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, fennel, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add sausage, breaking up with a fork. Cook, stirring often, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. 
  • In a small dish add the tomato paste and water, whisk together until smooth then add to the soup pot. Pour in the chicken broth, add the reserved lentils, Italian seasoning, cumin and bay leaves.
  • Bring soup to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until lentils are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.  
  • Remove from heat, discard bay leaves and ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley

Notes

  1. An easy way to sort the lentils is to spread them out on a sheet pan. Discard anything that is not a lentil.
  2. When breaking up the sausage leave small chunks of for flavor and interest.
  3. This is a hearty, thick soup. Add additional chicken broth for a thinner soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1-1/2 Cups | Calories: 269kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 1238mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g