Easy Italian Lentil and Sausage Stew
Easy Lentil and Sausage Stew is an Italian Fall Soup made with Italian Sausages, Lentils and Fresh Veggies. Healthy, Filling and Delicious. The Perfect Dinner Stew or Soup.
Ahhh comfort food, probably one of the best food dishes to eat. I have to say this Lentils and Sausage soup is one of my favourite Comfort Dishes.
Over the years I have become a great appreciator of lentils. Actually I have come to love and cook all kinds of Beans, from Green Beans to Borlotti and everything in between.
Whether I make an all Veggie Dish or add meat or as in this case Italian Sausages, beans are a must have staple in my home.
In Italy I have probably tasted more than my share of beans, from fresh to dried there are so many to choose from. I now appreciate the huge selection available whether Italian or North American.
Popular Italian Beans
Tuscany, the northern region of Italy, is famous for producing beans. Cannellini, also known as white kidney beans, are, perhaps, its most popular bean.
Borlotti beans are from the region of Veneto in the north. Borlotti beans are also considered to be the healthiest because of their high iron content.
Chickpeas or Garbanzo beans are cultivated in the south of Italy and are considered the most consumed bean in the world.
Fava beans are also cultivated in the warmer regions of Italy from the south. Italians like to eat these cooked or raw. The May 1 holiday in Italy is celebrated with pecorino cheese and raw fava beans.
If you haven’t tried them, I will say they are all worth trying at least once.
Lentils and Sausage Stew is a traditional and hearty comfort dish, that makes one of the most popular Italian winter will meals.
This dish is easy to make but does need a some time for preparation, This stew is delicious served with a simple salad or a slice or two of Italian crusty bread and a glass of red wine.
I added basil in this recipe but you could also use sage or even thyme if you prefer.
Lentils are An Italian New Years Good Luck Dish
This Lentils and Sausage Soup is served just after midnight on New Years in Italy.
It is considered a good luck dish which is supposed to bring you lots of money in the New Year!
Do you need to soak Lentils?
The good thing about dried lentils is you don’t have to soak them over night.
You can cook them right away if you are out of time, although it is best for digestion and to speed up the cooking time if you let them soak for at least 30 minutes or even one hour.
Cooking with Italian Sausages
Sometimes I will cut the sausages into pieces rather than cook them whole.
You can also pre-boil the Italian sausage for about 10 minutes to remove some of the extra fat and in my opinion the Lentils and Sausage Stew has a lighter taste because of that.
Of course you don’t have to boil them if you don’t want, you decide.
As with a lot of Italian soups and stews don’t forget to serve with a nice crusty Italian bread to soak up all the sauce and a nice white or red Italian wine doesn’t hurt either!
So here’s to Italian comfort food. Buon Appetito and Happy New Year!
Easy Italian Lentil and Sausage Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4-5 Italian sausages (approximately one pound)
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1/2 onion chopped (or 1 shallot chopped)
- 1 clove of garlic chopped
- 1 1/4 cups lentils 250 grams
- 1/4 cup white wine (60 grams)
- 3/4 cup tomato puree (passata) (170 grams)
- 2 cups of vegetable broth (500 grams)
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon basil
- dash or 2 of hot pepper flakes if desired
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add lentils and cover with water, let sit for 30 minutes, drain and rinse with water.
- In a medium – large pot on medium low heat add the olive oil and the Italian sausages (prick the sausages with a fork), cook and brown on both sides, then stir in the chopped carrot, celery, onion and garlic, cook until onions are transparent (about 2 minutes) then add the lentils, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute, raise the heat to medium high and add the white wine continue to cook until wine has evaporated (about 2 minutes).
- Add the tomato puree, vegetable broth, and spices, stir to combine, cover and bring to a boil on medium high heat, then lower to medium low, leave half covered, stirring occasionally and cook for approximately 45 minutes, or until lentils are tender and liquid has thickened. If you prefer a thinner soup then you can add more broth or water. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from September 28, 2016.
Its great ty instead of spinich i added cilantro
Made your Italian Lentil Soup and can’t wait to make this one. I will be using Kielbasa instead of Italian sausage as that is what I have in the house. Also I will make this in my electric pressure cooker in about 20 -25 minutes as I did with the lentil soup. Oh and I soaked the lentils overnight to make sure almost all of the “gas” was out of them. thanks for posting this recipe too.
Hi Kathi, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
This was delicious and easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi Anne, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
As expected, this is sooooo tasty! My family’s new favorite stew!
Hi Mina, thanks so much, glad everyone liked it. It’s one of our favourites too. 🙂
Delicious!!! I used chicken sausage with mushrooms, cheese… I added much more veggie broth and additional herbs. Amazing and my family ate it all. I’ll double the recipe next time I make it
Hi Karen, thanks so much glad you and your family enjoyed it. Have a wonderful Sunday.
Do you use the green or orange lentils for this recipe?
Hi Benita, I use green lentils. 🙂
Hi Rosemary,
I’m thinking about substituting barley for lentils, what do you think?
HOLLIE
Hi Hollie, I think you could, I have never cooked with barley although I do like it a lot. If you try it let me know how it goes.
Looks delicious! . Thanks for sharing
Which brand of Italian sausage do you recommend for us in the US?
Hi Cecille I really don’t know the brands in the US, but here is a link that might help. https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/shopping-storing/food/sausage-brands hope it helps. Happy New Year.
Thanks! I did learn a new brand to look for 🙂
HI Cecille, oh good and your welcome.
My new favorite lentil recipe; it’s delicious!
Hi Allie, thanks so much, so glad you like it! Have a great weekend.
There’s a chill in the air for the first time of the season today, and your soup sounds like just what I’m craving right now! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Jill, thank you I hope you enjoy it!
Just discover this post. I love the sausage and lentil soup at Carrabb’s Grill and always wish I would be able to get the recipe. Well, I thought this came extremely close.
Hi Alma, so glad you like it. Have a great weekend.
This looks delicious! I’m a fan of sausage and the first time I used it in a soup, many years ago, I was hooked! I’ll be trying this…nice recipe!
HI Annie, thanks a lot, I hope you like it, let me know!
Hi Annie, exactly, my daughter to a T.
Hi Audrey, thank you. I Love sharing on Tasty Tuesdays.
MMMM! This looks so good. I really need to cook with lentils more often.
Thanks for sharing on Tasty Tuesdays.
What a great soup recipe! It looks definitely hearty, comforting and of course delicious. I can see myself recreating the recipe tonight for dinner – good thing I have all the ingredients on hand!
Hi Thalia, thanks a lot, let me know how you like it. Have a great day!