Lentil and Sausage Soup

Course Dinner, Soup

Cuisine American, Italian American

Keyword apple cranberry sauce, italian lentil soup, lentil and sausage soup, red lentil soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 25

Servings

Calories 425kcal

Heat a heavy bottom soup pot over medium heat. Add the ground sausage to the pot. Brown and break apart into crumbles then remove the crumbled meat from the pot.
Add 1 tbsp oil, diced carrot, diced celery and diced onion to the pot. Saute over medium heat until soft and fragrant - about 7 minutes.
Add tomato paste to the pot along with the salt, black pepper and smoked paprika. Stir the tomato paste into the veggies and allow to cook for a minute before pouring in the chicken broth, water, lentils and browned sausage into the pot.
Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and simmer covered for 1 hour.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the red wine vinegar and chopped parsley. Serve warm with fresh toasted bread, more parsley and fresh cracked black pepper.

Do not skip the vinegar. The red wine vinegar stirred in at the end is one of the most important steps. It brightens the broth and balances all the rich savory flavors. Do not be tempted to skip it.
Brown the sausage well. Get a good brown on the sausage before removing it from the pot. Those caramelized bits left in the pan add incredible flavor to the whole soup base.
Cook the tomato paste for a full minute. Stirring the tomato paste into the vegetables and letting it cook for about a minute before adding the liquid removes the raw tinny flavor and deepens the taste significantly.
Rinse the lentils thoroughly. Red lentils can be dusty and may have small debris in the bag. Rinse well under cold water until the water runs clear before adding to the pot.

Red lentils will continue to thicken the soup as it sits. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating to thin it to your liking. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 4–5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.