Easy Sausage Lentil Soup With Kale

This hearty and delicious sausage kale and lentil soup brings together the flavors of savory Italian sausage, earthy lentils, and kale in a well-spiced broth. It's as easy as it is delicious: it comes together in just one pot and takes less than 45 minutes.

This soup starts by cooking sausage until it's browned, then setting it aside and cooking carrots, onion, celery, and sweet potatoes in the rendered fat.

Spices, lentils, the cooked sausage, and broth are added to the pot and everything simmers until the lentils are tender. It's then finished off with kale and lemon juice. If it sounds easy, that's because it is - cooks of any ability level should have no trouble with this recipe!

The first time we made it, the whole pot was gone in less than 30 minutes. We all went back for seconds! It's hearty, filling, and nutritious.

If you're looking for some more comforting soup recipes, check out our fan favorite Sheet Pan Soup, or this Turmeric Chicken Noodle Soup (perfect for a sick day!).

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• What You'll Need to Make This Recipe
• How to Make This Recipe
• Storage
• Lexi & Beth's Best Tips
• More Soup Recipes to Enjoy
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

What You'll Need to Make This Recipe

• Sausage: We used a mild Italian sausage in this recipe, as the little kick of spice and fennel pairs well with hearty lentils and kale. You could also use Spanish chorizo, andouille sausage or regular ground pork. If you don't consume pork, turkey sausage or chicken sausage will also work in this recipe. If you're vegan, use an alternative like Impossible sausage.
• Kale: We used lacinato aka dinosaur kale in this recipe, because it wilts into soft, easy-to-eat pieces that can also resist longer cook times without disintegrating. Curly kale or spinach will also work just fine.
• Lentils: Brown lentils work best in this recipe, because they retain a bit of texture once they're fully cooked, whereas yellow or red lentils soften considerably. Green lentils will also work, but we feel they sometimes remain a bit too firm to enjoy in a soup.
• Chicken broth: If you're using low or reduced sodium broth, please taste your soup once it has finished cooking, as it may need a touch more salt. You can also use vegetable broth instead.
• Sweet potato, celery, onion, celery: In a pinch, you can leave out the sweet potato, or replace it with regular potato, cubed tomatoes, or other vegetables of your choice.
• Garlic
• Lemon juice
• Spices

How to Make This Recipe

To a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and once it's hot, add the Italian sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until browned.

Next, remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil behind. Reduce the temperature to medium heat, and add in the onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until they begin to soften and become translucent. Next, add in the sweet potato, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes, until celery and carrots begin to soften.

Add in the spices, lentils, cooked sausage, chicken broth, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Let the soup cook uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the lentils are tender.

Once the lentils are cooked, add in the lemon juice and kale and stir, then cook for 2 more minutes until the kale is wilted. Serve with a little grated parmesan, and enjoy!

Storage

Move to a large airtight container and store in the fridge, where it will keep for 3-5 days. You can also freeze in an airtight container and enjoy within 3-5 months. To reheat, move to a large pot over medium low heat and add a cup of broth and cover and cook until the soup is thawed and reheated.

Lexi & Beth's Best Tips

• Don't forget to rinse your lentils! All lentils should be rinsed in a fine mesh sieve before cooking to remove and dirt and debris.
• Don't overcook the kale. It's best added right at the end! We just cook it for a minute or two until it's wilted before serving.
• While you can make this a red lentil soup or a yellow lentil soup by using a different lentil, we prefer using brown lentils because they soften up a bit, without getting too soft after cooking. Red or yellow lentils are best reserved for pureed soups, like this Spicy Carrot Lentil Soup.

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