Italian Sausage Lentil Soup
Updated Aug 21, 2025, Published Oct 16, 2024
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This Italian sausage lentil soup is perfect for a comforting meal. Enjoy the robust flavors from fresh vegetables, savory sausage, and aromatic herbs. This recipe provides options for both stovetop and slow cooker methods.
Serve with delicious crusty Italian bread, or try my meatless lentil soup variation!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This hearty lentil soup is ideal for chilly days and brings comfort and warmth with every spoonful, perfect for cozying up with a bowl. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Hearty and Filling: This soup is packed with protein from the sausage and lentils, making it a satisfying meal perfect for lunch or dinner.
- Rich in Flavor: The combination of Italian sausage, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs creates a deep, robust flavor that will delight your taste buds.
- Nutritious: Loaded with vegetables and lentils, this soup provides essential nutrients, fiber, and vitamins, making it a healthy choice for you and your family.
- Versatile Cooking Methods: Whether you prefer the quick stove top method or the convenient slow cooker option, this recipe fits into any schedule.
This authentic Italian lentil soup with sausage will surely become a favorite in your household, offering a delicious, nutritious, and comforting meal that everyone will love. Try our 15 bean soup, sausage potato soup, German goulash soup, and Italian minestrone soup next time!
Made With Amore,
Ingredients for Italian Lentil Sausage Soup
Made with everyday ingredients that are easy to find, this easy soup recipe is both budget-friendly and accessible. Let me tell you about the key ingredients…
- Mild Italian Sausage: Provides a savory, slightly spicy flavor and a hearty texture to the soup. If you want to take this up a notch, try making your own Italian sausage!
- Canned Petite Diced Tomatoes: Adds a rich, tangy flavor and a bit of texture, forming the tomato base of the soup.
- Brown Lentils: Adds a hearty, earthy flavor and a rich, creamy texture when cooked. They are a wonderful source of fiber and nutrients, and taste great in many recipes like lentil toast with fried egg!
- Parmigiano Reggiano: Garnishing the soup with this cheese adds a nutty, savory finish to the soup. In addition, it’s optional to add the cheese rind to the soup, but it adds a deep, umami-rich flavor and is highly recommended. If you have extra cheese, use it up in this pumpkin and parmigiano pasta!
- Fresh Herbs: Add basil leaves and flat leaf Italian parsley to enhance the flavors in the soup, just like our Italian sausage and peppers recipe.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- Italian Sausage Substitutions: Use spicy Italian sausage for a bit more heat, use turkey or chicken sausage for a leaner option, or try vegetarian sausage for a meatless version.
- Brown Lentil Substitutions: Use can use green lentils for a similar cooking time and texture. If you use red lentils, they’ll cook faster and get mushy easily, so shorten the cooking time. Black lentils also work well in this recipe!
- Canned Diced Tomatoes Alternatives: Substitute with crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce for a smoother texture, or 2 cups of diced, cooked down fresh tomatoes. If you have extra fresh tomatoes, use them up in this fresh tomato marinara sauce!
- Spicy Variation: For those who crave a bit of heat, switch out the mild Italian sausage for hot Italian sausage. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes while sautéing the vegetables, and consider throwing in your favorite hot pepper. I also love to add a handful of fresh spinach to balance the heat.
How to Make Italian Sausage Lentil Soup
Follow these easy step-by-step photos. The complete instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Add the Italian sausage (without the casing) to the cast iron soup pot.
- Brown the sausage, breaking it up into rough crumbles as it cooks, then remove.
- Cook the soffritto in the same pot until soft.
- Add the zucchini and garlic.
- Add the sausage back into the pot.
- Pour in the broth.
- Add the lentils, bay leaf, and Parmigiano rind. Cook until lentils are soft and absorb some of the liquid.
- Add the fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot! This is one of those hearty soups that both kids and adults love.
Recipe FAQs
You’ll need Italian sausage, lentils, canned diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and a variety of veggies such as onion, carrot, celery, zucchini, and garlic. Season with bay leaves, fresh basil, and parsley, along with salt and pepper. Adding the rind of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese brings extra umami flavor, which is delicious!
I recommend using Italian sausage for lentil soup, as its flavors blend perfectly with the veggies and herbs. Use either mild or spicy, depending upon how much spice you want!
No, there’s no need to soak the lentils. Brown lentils cook relatively quickly and will become tender as the soup simmers.
The flavors of this soup continue to develop as it sits, making leftovers even more delicious. It’s perfect for meal prepping or enjoying over multiple days.
Refrigerate: Store leftover sausage lentil soup in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Freeze: Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Thaw overnight in the fridge or use the microwave defrost setting.
Serving Suggestions
You can never go wrong serving a hearty soup like this with a slice of crusty bread! The whole family will love my recipes for crusty no knead white bread, easy ciabatta bread, or tomato focaccia with herbs. Enjoy a fresh salad on the side like my classic Italian chopped salad or best summer panzanella salad, and then have a piece of refreshing creamy frozen lemon bars or authentic Italian cheesecake for dessert.
My Pro Tips
Expert Tips
- Use Quality Ingredients: Opt for high-quality sausage, fresh vegetables, and good chicken stock. The better the ingredients, the richer the flavor.
- Brown the Sausage: Make sure to thoroughly brown the sausage. This step adds depth and enhances the overall flavor of the soup.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Don’t skip sautéing the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, and garlic. This process caramelizes the natural sugars and adds a wonderful base flavor.
- Include a Parmigiano Reggiano Rind: If you have it, add a Parmigiano Reggiano rind while simmering. It infuses the soup with a rich, umami flavor.
- Add Fresh Herbs at the End: Stir in the fresh parsley and basil just before serving. This keeps their flavors vibrant and fresh.
More Italian Sausage Recipes
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Italian Sausage Lentil Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage, casings removed if using links
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 medium zucchini, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 14 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock or broth, or water
- 1 ½ cups brown lentils
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind, optional
- ½ cup flat leaf Italian parsley, minced
- ¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for serving
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the sausage and set it aside.
- In the same pot, add the remaining olive oil. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and garlic, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the canned diced tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Return the sausage to the pot. Add the chicken stock, lentils, bay leaves, and Parmigiano Reggiano rind (if using).
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer. Cover and cook for 45-50 minutes, or until the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally.
- Stir in the parsley and basil, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Enjoy with crusty bread!
Slow Cooker Method
- Brown the sausage and the veggies (soffritto) on the stovetop as directed in steps 1-2 above. Add both the meat and veggies to the slow cooker.
- Add the canned diced tomatoes, chicken stock, lentils, bay leaves, and Parmigiano Reggiano rind (if using) to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours, until the lentils are tender.
- Add the fresh parsley and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and enjoy with bread!
Notes
- Use Quality Ingredients: Opt for high-quality sausage, fresh vegetables, and good chicken stock. The better the ingredients, the richer the flavor.
- Brown the Sausage: Make sure to thoroughly brown the sausage. This step adds depth and enhances the overall flavor of the soup.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Don’t skip sautéing the onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, and garlic. This process caramelizes the natural sugars and adds a wonderful base flavor.
- Include a Parmigiano Reggiano Rind: If you have it, add a Parmigiano Reggiano rind while simmering. It infuses the soup with a rich, umami flavor.
- Add Fresh Herbs at the End: Stir in the fresh parsley and basil just before serving. This keeps their flavors vibrant and fresh.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
this is a hearty soup with lots of flavor.
So happy you love this nourishing soup!
This was a wonderful dish!! The flavors were amazing ๐คฉ A definite addition to my favorite recipe section!!
Yay! I always to hear that you will make this again and again. I hope you love it more and more. All the best!
Delicious! Simple and flavorful! Iโll make this again!
I made this today. Itโs delicious! I added ground turkey for extra protein. Definitely remember to add the cheese rind. Itโs a game changer!
Yes, on the parmigiano cheese rind! I’m happy you loved the recipe.
Just printed and added the needed items to my next grocery order!!
I have not had a single recipe from you that my family has not enjoyed! Your neopolitan crust recipe has upped my game! Just made the meatballs and sauce on Wednesday for dinner! Also we had the Brussels sprouts on Thanksgiving:)
ps, mild typo up at the top under Simple Ingredients, Balck pepper ๐
Yay! This makes me so happy. enjoy this yummy soup recipe.
Thanks for the typo heads up!
I just made this today. The flavor explosion is amazing! I ended up using turkey bone broth that I made from my Thanksgiving turkey. Easily my new favorite!
YES! YUM. Homemade broth is the best. Happy you loved this soup.
I’ve just stumbled across your website and OMG!!! I can’t save recipes fast enough! Thank you!!!
This makes me SO HAPPY! enjoy them all and keep in touch. You can always find me on Instagram and DM there as well. Happy holidays.