When we moved to WA state in the early 2000s, I was looking for comfort anywhere I could find it! I had left friends and community and while we were still in touch, I needed some in-person humans. We moved into our first home in November, which, I learned later, is about a month after WA natives go into hibernation for the winter so I didn't meet neighbors for a few months. You think I kid. But I do not. Enter Lentil Sausage Soup.
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We discovered a local chain of restaurants that served this soul-lifting soup. They printed the recipe on their take out menu so you know I snagged that baby right up! They went out of business soon after we discovered them. Maybe they should have kept that recipe secret!?
That glorious soup. (Hang with me folks … You might think I'm giving this soup a bit more credit than it's worth, but my memories of it … {and its flavor every time I eat it!} … assure me that I am not!
Confession:
I had forgotten about this soup and all of its comforts. Sad, but true. I was going through my notebook of "Memorable Recipes" and this one smacked me in the face reminding me of all of the cozy it offered during a hard time of life.
So here I am with crazy, cozy Lentil Sausage Soup love for you.
Top priority question: soak the lentils or no?
It's lentils, folks. Don't overthink it. In other words, soaking isn't a horrible thing! I think it's definitely better for one's digestion, but it's my personal opinion that lentils don't require soaking in terms of cooking up the way they should. They cook SO FAST! All of that said .... I do usually soak them.
Do your thing. But at least rinse them well and make sure they are clean. If you don't soak them, you'll need more broth to make the soup because they will soak up all the liquid! (The recipe card will tell you to soak them!)
On to the sausages …
I like to use spicy Italian sausages for Lentil Sausage Soup, but if you feed kids, you might want to choose the mild option. Or make a bit of both! They are added at the end anyway, so you could totally do that.
Saute them in the soup pot to get them brown, then finish cooking them in the oven while you get the rest of the soup going.
Saute onion, leeks, celery, and carrots in the fat left by the sausages, but add a bit of oil if you think you need a some.
Drain the lentils using a fine mesh sieve and add them to the pot along with chicken stock. Let them simmer for about an hour.
While the lentils are cooking with the aromatics, you have a chance to get the finishing ingredients ready... Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, cream, and spinach.
When the lentils are almost done, slice the sausages to add to the soup. If you are using both spicy and mild, keep them in separate bowl for people to add as they want.
Finally, stir in the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, cream, and spinach.
Call me crazy if you must, but I believe soup does amazing things for the soul. It's comforting. It's not demanding because it's usually one-pot … so it's easy clean-up. It's cozy. If you don't have friends, you at least need cozy! My first 3 months of rainy days in WA state proved to me that "cozy" is underrated! As is sunshine!!
If you are lonely {OR} if you have tons of friends, you simply must make this soup! It freezes well if you are lonely and want to freeze single servings for future meals, but it feeds a good crowd of family and friends, too!
More recipes you might like:
Recipe
Lentil Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1½ cups lentils rinsed thoroughly and soaked 6-8 hours
- 4 links Italian Sausage mild or spicy depending on your tastes
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- ½ cup white onions chopped
- ½ cup carrots chopped
- ½ cup leeks (white parts only chopped
- ½ cup celery chopped
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 cup heavy cream (or use a non-dairy option)
- 1 cup fresh spinach roughly chopped
- Parmesan cheese finely grated
Instructions
- Put the olive oil and butter in a large pot. Heat to melt the butter, then add the sausage links and brown evenly on all sides. Reduce the heat to keep the butter from burning. Cook the sausage for approximately five minutes or until evenly browned. If they aren’t yet cooked through, put them in an oven-proof pan in a 350°F oven till they are done.
- After removing the sausage from the skillet, add the onions, carrots, celery, leeks, and seasonings to the pot. Cook over medium-heat until the vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes. Then add the lentils and chicken stock, stir briefly and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to prevent the lentils from sticking the pan. When the soup starts to boil,
reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the lentils are tender, approximately 40-50 minutes. While the soup is simmering, slice the sausages into half-inch slices. - When the lentils are tender, add the sausage, cream, mustard, vinegar, and ½ cup of the spinach. Stir to mix all ingredients. Return the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for an additional five minutes.
- Serve in warm bowls, garnished with the remaining spinach and Parmesan cheese. Enjoy
with rustic bread.
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