This Lentil Sausage Soup Recipe is hearty, and filling. It is the perfect soup to make ahead for the week or freeze for later. Sausage, lentils, vegetables and warm spices are combined to create the perfect meal. Garnish with fresh herbs, feta cheese and serve with pita bread.

LENTIL SAUSAGE SOUP RECIPE

You guys love my lentil soup recipes as much as I do.

One of the first recipes I created on A Cedar Spoon was this Moroccan Red Lentil Soup followed by this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup.

Both of those are soups I make time and time again in my house. They are great meal-prep soups. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for later.

Today’s Lentil Sausage Soup Recipe is no different. It is such an easy soup to make and is great for meal-prep.

The sausage in this soup adds a wonderful savory flavor that pairs so nicely with the lentils.

The warm spices in this soup are my favorite. It mixes together cumin, turmeric, paprika and coriander which I find to be such a great pairing.

I like to serve this soup with fresh herbs like mint and parsley along with crushed red pepper, lemon slices and crumbled feta cheese.

If you like lentil recipes you also should try this Red Lentil Curry, Lentil Mushroom Stew or Vegetarian Lentil Chili.

WHY YOU WILL LIKE SAUSAGE LENTIL SOUP RECIPE

EASY TO PREPARE & COOK: This recipe is easy to prepare and the soup can be cooked and on the table ready to enjoy in around 30 minutes.

VEGETABLE RICH DISH: This soup is packed with heart healthy lentils and veggies, a great way to add in those healthy veggies and protein. It is a hearty lentil soup that will keep you feeling satisfied.

EASY TO DOUBLE UP: This recipe really easy to double up, I like to enjoy some now and freeze the rest for a quick and easy meal another day.

WHAT INGREDIENTS DO I NEED FOR SAUSAGE LENTIL SOUP

• OIL: I use extra virgin olive oil as it has the best flavor in this soup.
• GARLIC: For the best flavor I recommend using fresh garlic cloves, although garlic puree can work too.
• VEGETABLES: The vegetables in this soup are a combination of yellow onion, carrots, celery and red bell pepper to flavor the base of the soup.
• SAUSAGE: I use ground sausage meat in this recipe, you can opt for hot or mild sausage depending of your taste.
• SPICES: The spice combination is my favorite in this soup. I use a combination of cumin, turmeric, paprika and coriander to season the soup. I also think adding some italian seasoning would be a nice addition to this soup.
• DRIED HERBS: I use both dried oregano and bay leaves to flavor the soup.
• TOMATO: Both tomato paste and canned diced tomatoes are used in the soup. You also could sub a small amount of tomato sauce in place of tomato paste it just might be less thick of a soup.
• BROTH: I’ve opted for chicken broth, but vegetable broth would work equally well here too.
• LENTILS: This soup uses red lentils as they cook and soften quickly when making a soup.
• GARNISH: My favorite garnishes in this soup are freshly chopped parsley, crushed red pepper and Parmesan cheese. I also like serving a lemon slice and pita bread.

HOW TO COOK LENTIL SAUSAGE SOUP

PREPARE THE LENTILS: Pick through the lentils to remove any that look brown or any small pebbles. Rinse and set aside. This ensures you don’t end up with anything other than lentils in your soup.

SAUTE THE VEGETABLES: Heat olive oil in a dutch over or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions, carrots, celery and bell pepper and sauté until tender (about 3-4 minutes).

ADD THE SAUSAGE: Add the sausage and continue to sauté until cooked through and browned. Drain any excess fat.

SAUTE THE SPICES: Add the cumin, turmeric, paprika, coriander and oregano and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. This helps the spices bloom.

COOK THE SOUP: Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, diced tomatoes, red lentils and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered on low heat for about 20 minutes {until the lentils are tender}, stirring occasionally.

SERVE THE SOUP: Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

RECIPE MODIFICATIONS

LENTILS: When making soup, I prefer to use red lentils {they look orange} as they cook and soften quickly. Yellow lentils also have a softer texture so you can use those too.

You can use brown lentils or green lentils if that is all you have, but you will have to cook the soup for longer to allow the lentils to soften.

SAUSAGE: You can use any flavor of ground sausage in this soup like pork sausage, spicy italian sausage, sweet Italian sausage, turkey sausage or chicken sausage. For a chunkier texture try something a little different by using slices of smoked sausage.

VEGETABLES: Add extra vegetables to the mix like cauliflower, zucchini, mushroom, squash or sweet potatoes. If you add sweet potatoes you will want to dice them to a small size to ensure they cook evenly and are soft when the lentils are done cooking.

LEAFY GREENS: Try stirring through some leafy greens like swiss chard, kale or fresh spinach towards the end of the cooking.

SPICE: If you like your lentil soup with an extra kick of chili add some red pepper flakes, diced red chili or jalapeño peppers to the soup. You also could add hot sauce.

CHEESE: Top the soup with some freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, or crumble over some feta.

FRESH HERBS: I like to serve the soup with freshly chopped parsley but you could also use cilantro or mint.

TIPS WHEN MAKING LENTIL SOUP

RINSE: Before using the lentil make sure to rinse them under cold water to remove any debris or dust. You also want to quickly pick through the lentils to make sure there isn’t anything other than lentils present.

BROTH: Try using bone broth to add more nutrients to the soup like this Beef Bone Broth. You also could use chicken bone broth or vegetable stock.

ACIDITY: A splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice added towards the end of cooking can brighten the flavors of the soup.

DON’T OVERCOOK: Lentils can become mushy if overcooked so make sure to pay attention to cook time and stir a few times so they don’t stick to the bottom of the dutch oven.

HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER LENTIL SOUP

FRIDGE: Store leftover soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

FREEZE: Once cooked and cooled, place the soup into an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to use the soup thaw it out in the fridge overnight.

REHEAT: Reheat the soup in a pot on the stove until piping hot.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SAUSAGE LENTIL SOUP?

I love serving a salad with this soup. Some favorites are this Lemon Arugula Salad, Mediterranean Bean Salad, Easy Lebanese Salad or this Mediterranean Lentil Salad.

Vegetable side dishes are also a nice idea with this meal. A few I like are these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables, Air Fryer Eggplant, Air Fryer Zucchini Chips or Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower.

OTHER LENTIL SOUP RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE:

CHICKEN LENTIL SOUP

LEBANESE LENTIL SOUP

TURKISH LENTIL SOUP

LEMON LENTIL SOUP

ITALIAN STYLE LENTIL SOUP

SLOW COOKER LENTIL SOUP

RED LENTIL COCONUT SOUP