Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhmahgah.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

You know how all fall you’ve been saying, “I need that ooone soup to taste that ooone way and do that ooone thing to my mouth and that ooone thing to my brain and stomach and make me a better person in this life.”

You know how you’ve been saying that? Right.

Well I’m about to throw you a curve ball and you’re not even going to see it coming. Except for the fact that I just told you it’s coming. Never mind.

This soup!

o.

m.

g.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

First of all, you know my insane love for Italian sausage. It’s maj out of control. But I feel like it’s the only suitable protein for this dish because of the rosemary and lemon and red lentils (oh my).

And the carrots! Carrots play a leading role in this soup. Not like Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves. More like, Winona Ryder in Reality Bites. She’s the lead character, but the whole cast sort of has equal contribution. The sausage is definitely Ethan Hawke. The lentilsĀ  – wait!

The lentils are Winona Ryder. The CARROTS ARE JANEANE GAROFALO.

The rosemary and lemon are Steve Zahn, and the garlicky, onion-y stock is Ben Stiller.

I’m so glad we figured this out together.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

The only prep work is the browning of the sausage, and a bit of veggie chopping. You can dig that, right?

(say hi, Troy Dyer! just kidding.)

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

Then it goes into a slow cooker just for a lil’ bit!

Actually, a word about this part. Red lentils cook FAST. And they tend to break down and become one with their surrounding liquids. (also known as: mush.) But don’t think of it as mush. Think of it more like, a thickening comfort substance that carries your soul from one level of glee to another. (don’t look at me like that.)

Honestly, three to four hours in the cooker’ll dew. I mean due. I mean doo. I mean do.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

This ^^ is absolute ridiculous bliss.

That lemon and rosemary will transfooooorm the soup.

It simply has all the elements of a straight up OMG meal.

Healing, comforting, herby, slurpalicious, sausage-a-licious, and a delightful ting of orange that makes the whole thing sing to ya.

Actually, it sings that U2 song at the end of Reality Bites when Troy comes back to Lelaina all in love, “You say, you waaaant diamonds and a ring of goooold….your story to remaaaain untold….

……ALL I WANT IS, YOUUUUUUUUHUUUUU! ALL I WANT IS, YOUUUUUUUHUUUU! ALL I WANT IS YO!-”

I can chill.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

But I mean, yeah.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

Don’t forget the crusty bread.

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup
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Ingredients

  • 1 pound Italian sausage
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cups red lentils (you can swap in green if you prefer)
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish
  • 2 Tbs. lemon juice, plus more wedges for serving
  • coarse salt

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, brown the sausage all over until no longer pink, about five minutes.
  2. To a slow cooker, add the sausage, carrots, garlic, onion, lentils, stock, water, and rosemary. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook on low for 4 hours.
  3. Add the lemon juice, and taste. Holy faces, right? If it needs a tiny bit more salt, go ahead and throw a pinch in.
  4. Serve soup with crusty bread, a sprig of rosemary, and more lemon wedges. And parmesan if you want! Ooooo.
  5. Makes about six dinner servings.
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https://bevcooks.com/2016/11/slow-cooker-lentil-sausage-soup/

Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup / Bev Cooks

Hahaha, Reality Bites. BITES. Get it? You bite it! Never mind.

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24 Responses to Slow Cooker Lentil and Sausage Soup

  1. Jessica M. November 8, 2016 at 11:05 am #
    Looks super delicious and easy!! Would you be able to make this on the stove top, or for a longer time in the slow cooker? I usually leave my slow cooker on while I'm at work so its usually 8+ hours until I can tend to it. Thanks Bev! Love your blog!
    • Bev Weidner November 8, 2016 at 11:43 am #
      You could absolutely make this on the stove! Totally totally. I bet like 30 minutes for the lentils to soften and boom - done. Let me know how it turns out!
  2. annette turello November 8, 2016 at 11:44 am #
    i use brown lentils......
    • Bev Weidner November 8, 2016 at 12:01 pm #
      Brown lentils work great, as well!
  3. Sarah Jane Jennings November 8, 2016 at 12:55 pm #
    Just added this to my menu!!! Easy, healthy and looks delicious!!!
  4. Ploy M November 9, 2016 at 7:53 am #
    I used regular lentils and it absorbs so much of the broth. After 4 hours on low, it's not soup at all! Disappointed.
    • Bev Weidner November 9, 2016 at 10:22 am #
      Ohhhh I am so bummed to hear it! My lentils soaked up a lot of the liquid as well, but it was still on the soupy side. I'm SO sorry it didn't work. If you try it again, maybe 2 hours in the slow cooker? Or on the stove! Whatever works best for you. Thank you for letting me know though. I'm truly sorry it didn't work out. :(
  5. Anne November 10, 2016 at 2:21 pm #
    Made this last night on the stove top. Honestly. I can't. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD.
  6. Heather November 13, 2016 at 2:49 pm #
    Oh thank you, sounds like a winning combo!
  7. Hilary November 13, 2016 at 6:53 pm #
    Made this tonight and the only con I will say is that I used green lentils and they need far more time to cook than red. I left them in for 4 hours on low in the slow cooker and they didn't absorb anything and stayed fully in tact. I ended up tranferring to the stove for an additional hour or so but they didn't even fully cook at that point. I will definitely be trying the recipe again with red lentils instead!
  8. Jodi December 4, 2016 at 9:47 pm #
    Made this today on the stovetop. SO good! And easy and quick to make. I am a big fan of your recipes! Thanks!
  9. Katie February 16, 2017 at 11:04 am #
    This was so delicious! I have never had lentil anything so I was a little nervous but it was great. My crockpot runs a little hot so it was a little mushy looking vs soup looking but it still tasted awesome. Next time I might just do one less hour or something. Thanks!
  10. Jenessa December 13, 2017 at 1:52 pm #
    This is such a tasty recipe! I've made it several times now in my Instant Pot pressure cooker and it's super easy. Just brown the sausage in the pressure cooker, throw everything else in, and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Easy enough for a work night.
  11. Jen Renee December 27, 2017 at 8:18 pm #
    I made this tonight on the stove and it was really good! It has kind of an oatmeal texture, which was a little weird for me at first, but the flavor is great. I used lean Italian turkey sausage so it was a really healthful meal.
  12. Maria Nunez October 15, 2019 at 11:57 am #
    Looks so good! Do you think you I would be able to make this with like a lentil/ bean mix?? Sincerely, Starving
  13. McAfee Activate January 20, 2020 at 5:42 am #
    Mouthwatering recipe. I would love to share your recipes with my friends and loved ones. can't wait to try this out. Thank you for sharing all the ingredients :-)
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  15. Balance Acupuncture September 11, 2021 at 11:10 am #
    It's yum, brown lentils make it better
  16. cheryl November 7, 2021 at 4:40 pm #
    I want to make this for a group and one does not eat pork. Do you think ground lamb would be a good substitute?
  17. Sandra February 16, 2022 at 6:06 pm #
    DISCUSTING. THREW IT DONE THE DRAIN. YUK
  18. Alyssa September 3, 2023 at 10:43 pm #
    I made this on the stove top and it came out perfect. I used sausage links and sliced them after cooking. I softened my veggies in the same pan I used to cook my sausage in to collect all that delicious fond. I added the rosemary and garlic for about a minute at the end to avoid any risk of burnt garlic flavor. Next time I would add an additional cup or two of broth as I prefer mine a bit soupier and anticipate that it will become thicker after standing. I also added Aleppo pepper and smoked paprika as I like a bit of a kick in my food. Lastly DO NOT skip the lemon juice! The acidity really brightens the dish and brings it to life. I think this recipe is easily adaptable and could be made with ham or smoked pork chops. I will strongly consider adding a little diced celery or fennel as well as kale next time ( it was a bit monochrome ) I would absolutely try it in an instant pot next time.

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