This sausage lentil soup recipe is adapted from one of the Barefoot Contessa's popular food network recipes. It's made with French lentils and kielbasa.
One of Ina Garten's (a.k.a., The Barefoot Contessa) most popular recipes is this sausage lentil soup. Here, it is adapted for a more time-crunched, lower-fat lifestyle.
The homemade chicken stock is replaced with a store-bought chicken stock. But be sure to use chicken stock, not chicken broth. Chicken stock has a deeper, fuller flavor and less salt. (Technically, chicken stock should have no salt, but most packaged chicken stocks do include salt.)
And the keilbasa is replaced with pre-cooked turkey or chicken sausage (Al Fresco makes a nice, all-natural chicken sausage in a variety of flavors.) There is also less oil in this lentil soup recipe.
If you'd like to make this lentil soup vegetarian, simply leave out the sausage. It will still taste wonderful.
Lentil Soup with Sausage
- 16 oz. lentils (French green or brown)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 large yellow onions, diced
- 2 large leeks, cleaned and chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced finely
- 1 Tbsp. kosher salt
- 1-1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp. ground cumin
- 3 cups diced celery
- 3 cups diced carrots
- 3 quarts chicken stock (such as Kitchen Basics)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 pound pre-cooked turkey or chicken sausage, chopped into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 Tbsp. red wine or red wine vinegar
Place the lentils in a large bowl and cover completely with boiling water. Allow the lentils to stand for 15 minutes, then drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin. Cook until vegetables are very soft, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook another ten minutes until the carrots are softened. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and drained lentils. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer, uncovered, for one hour or until the lentils are completely cooked through.
Taste, then add salt and pepper as necessary. Add the turkey sausage and red wine, cooking another 10 minutes until the sausage is warmed through and the flavors meld.
Makes 10 servings.
Per serving: 412 calories, 11 g fat (3 g saruated fat), 32 mg cholesterol, 52 g carbohydrate, 17 g fiber, 27 g protein, 142% vitamin A, 44% vitamin C, 9% calcium, 51% iron
For more heart healthy soup recipes, see also:
- Bean Soup with Hot Dogs
- Butternut Squash Soup
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Parsnip Soup with Pears
- Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- Split Pea Soup with Barley
- White Chicken Chili
