Sausage and lentil soup is a warm and comforting dish perfect for the winter months. It’s affordable and easy to make, packed with layers of flavor and satisfying heartiness.
Cut the sausage in half lengthwise. Slice into ½-inch-thick half-moon pieces. Add the sausage to a 6-quart stockpot over medium heat. Cook the sausage until it is browned, 5-8 minutes.
12 oz Italian sausage (about 4 sausages in casing)
Add the butter, the onion, celery, and carrot. Stir and sauté until the onion is soft but not brown, 4-6 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir until it is fragrant, 1 minute.
2 tbsp unsalted butter, 1 large onion, 2 ribs celery, 3 carrots, 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning, 3 cloves garlic, ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Add the tomato paste. Stir the paste into the vegetables and cook until it is darkened in color and beginning to coat the bottom of the pan, 3-4 minutes.
4 tbsp tomato paste
Add the lentils, rosemary, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook until the lentils are tender, 25-35 minutes.
Add the balsamic vinegar and taste for seasoning. Serve immediately.
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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Notes
The vegetables should be chopped into bite-sized pieces, but ensure they aren’t cut too small. Otherwise, they can become mushy in the dish.Allowing the tomato paste to cook for a moment before adding the other flavors richens its flavor and cooks out some of the raw tomato flavor.Be patient with simmering. Simmering the soup over low heat allows the lentils to soak up the flavor slowly, fully embracing the flavor of the soup.