This hearty Sausage and Lentil Soup, inspired by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, is packed with Italian sausage, tender lentils, and chocked full of veggies. Ready in about an hour and a half, it’s a budget-friendly meal the whole family will love!
We love soup in our home. I make a big pot every week that we enjoy for dinner and then a few lunches. I first shared this copycat recipe for Sausage Lentil Soup a decade ago. At the time it was a new favorite soup of my husbands. Every time we would go out to for a date night at Carrabba’s Italian Grill, (our favorite Italian restaurant) we had to order it. Since we were newlyweds and on a tight budget–going out to eat was definitely a luxury that we saved for 1-2 times a month. That’s when I started making sausage lentil soup at home as well as Carrabba’s Minestrone Soup!
Why this Recipe Works
Hearty and Satisfying Meal: Sausage and lentil soup is a wholesome and filling dish, perfect for those chilly days when you crave a comforting, hearty meal. The combination of protein-rich sausage and fiber-packed lentils makes this soup not only delicious but also satisfying.
Nutrient-Rich Ingredients: Lentils are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and essential nutrients like iron and folate. When combined with flavorful sausage, vegetables, and aromatic herbs, you create a nutrient-dense soup that not only tastes great but also provides a good balance of macronutrients.
Versatility and Easy to Customize: This recipe offers plenty of room for customization. You can adapt it to suit your taste preferences by experimenting with different types of sausages, adding more vegetables, or adjusting the seasonings. It’s a versatile dish that allows you to get creative in the kitchen.
Ingredients
Here are all the ingredients you will need to make this meaty lentil soup.
- Olive Oil – This is what you will need to start cooking the sausage so it doesn’t stick to your pot.
- Italian Sausage – You will need ground Italian sausage. I like to use mild because my kids eat this reicpe; however, if you like heat go with hot ground Italian sausage.
- Vegetables – This recipe requires a lot of vegetables you will need the following; garlic, onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and canned diced tomatoes.
- Lentils – I like to use brown lentils but red could work too.
- Seasonings – Parsley, Oregano, Basil, Thyme, Salt , Black Pepper and Red Pepper Flakes.
- Chicken Stock – I like to use Low-sodium chicken stock for this recipe. This is so I can control the amount of sodium in the recipe. Chicken broth works too.
- Parmesan Cheese – You will want a little for topping the soup.
Directions
Here is the step-by-step process on how to make Carrabba’s Copy-Cat recipe for sausage lentil soup.
In a large 5-quart (or larger) sauce pot, pour the olive oil in the pot. Then place the ground Italian sausage. Cook on medium-heat breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Mix, and continue to break up for five minutes.
Next, add in the garlic and diced onion. Mix into the meat mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. While the meat mixture is cooking, dice the celery, peel and dice the carrots, and dice the zucchini.
Place the vegetables in the soup pot. Mix well then add in the diced tomatoes, lentils, and spices. Mix well then pour in the chicken stock (mixing one last time).
Bring the soup to a boil (about 5-10 minutes), then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Make sure you mix every 10-15 minutes to prevent lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once the soup is cooked, ladle the soup into bowl, and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
FAQS
Absolutely! Feel free to experiment with various sausages such as Italian, chorizo, or bratwurst to add unique flavors to your soup.
No need to soak the lentils beforehand. Unlike some other legumes, lentils cook relatively quickly and don’t require pre-soaking. Simply rinse them and add them to the soup.
Yes, this soup actually tends to taste even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld. You can make a batch ahead of time and refrigerate it for reheating when needed.
While this particular recipe includes sausage, you can easily adapt it for vegetarians by using plant-based sausage alternatives or omitting the meat altogether. Ensure your broth and seasonings are vegetarian-friendly.
Certainly! This soup freezes well. Allow it to cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. It can be stored in the freezer for up to three months. To reheat, simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm it on the stove or in the microwave.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Here are a few of my favorite recipe tips and tricks when I’m making lentil sausage soup.
- Thicker Consistency – If you prefer a thicker consistency, place one cup of the soup into a blender and puree. Then add the puree back to the soup pot.
- Salt – Omit the salt if you plan to not use a low-sodium chicken broth.
- Spicy – Want this soup spicy? Use ground hot Italian sausage instead of the mild sausage.
If you make this sausage and lentil soup recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a ⭐ star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!
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Sausage and Lentil Soup
Equipment
- Stove Top
- Measuring Spoons
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Soup Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 pound Ground Mild Italian Sausage
- 3 Garlic cloves
- 1 White Onion diced
- 1 stalk Celery diced
- 3 Carrots peeled & diced
- 1 Zucchini diced
- 16 ounces Canned Diced Tomatoes
- 2 cups Dried Brown Lentils
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes (optional)
- 64 ounces Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
Instructions
- In a large 5-quart (or larger) sauce pot, pour the olive oil in the pot. Then place the ground Italian sausage. Cook on medium-heat breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Mix, and continue to break up for 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the garlic and diced onion. Mix into the meat mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. While the meat mixture is cooking, dice the celery, peel and dice the carrots, and dice the zucchini. Place the vegetables in the soup pot. Mix well then add in the diced tomatoes, lentils, and spices. Mix well then pour in the chicken stock (mixing one last time).
- Bring the soup to a boil (about 5-10 minutes), then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Make sure you mix every 10-15 minutes to prevent lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Once the soup is cooked, ladle the soup into bowl, and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Thicker Consistency – If you prefer a thicker consistency, place one cup of the soup into a blender and puree. Then add the puree back to the soup pot.
- Salt – Omit the salt if you plan to not use a low-sodium chicken broth.
- Spicy – Want this soup spicy? Use ground hot Italian sausage instead of the mild sausage.
Jennifer Lundeby
It’s good but not carrabba’s good. If you want it to taste like Carrabba, add a thinly sliced anis (fennel) bulb and skip the parsley, thyme and oregano and replace with a heaping tablespoon of herb de province
Katie
Hi Jennifer, thank you so much for the ingredient recommendations. I’ll have to try your way the next time I make this.
Lisa
This recipe really reminded me of the Carrabba’s lentil and sausage soup. This makes a ton! I blended about 2 cups of the soup and added it back in!
Katie
Hi Lisa, thank you for taking the time to leave a 5 star review. You are correct–this is a copycat recipe and almost a spitting image. I love that you blended a few cups to make it even thicker.
Jodi
Delicious!! Very reminiscent of my husband’s favorite Carrabba’s soup!
Thank you for your efforts in perfecting this recipe!!
Katie
Hi Jodi, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a 5 star comment. So happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Kelly
Awesome soup!! My son called it “slammin” LOL
Katie
Hi Kelly, so happy you and your son enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for leaving a 5 star review!
Robert
The card says total time, 1 hour with a 40 minute cook time, but the actual text has an hour long simmer, otherwise a good recipe
Katie
Hi Robert, thank you so much for pointing that out. I appreciate it and just changed the recipe card. Glad you enjoyed the recipe.