Easy & Hearty Sausage Lentil Stew Recipe

This easy sausage lentil stew recipe with sausage is hearty and comes together quickly using pantry staples that you likely already have on hand. 

If you prefer your lentils sans meat, try this vegetarian lentil stew recipe. 

Hearty Lentil Stew

My mom often cooks for large crowds, so when she says “people loved it” she means more than just her immediate family. In other words, LOTS of people loved it.

She shared this sausage lentil soup recipe with me years ago, and it’s definitely been a hit at our table, especially on a chilly night.

And check out this comment from Facebook:

Thank you SO much for posting this! I made it for dinner tonight and the whole family LOVES it!!!!!!!

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Hard to argue with that!

Lentils cook much more quickly than dry beans, so this has become kind of a staple for us on nights when I need to cobble something together from the pantry.

Serve this easy lentil soup with a fresh green salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal.

Ingredients

Italian Sausage — We use our own homemade Italian sausage. If you make your own, use that, or use your favorite store brand. Link sausage will need to be removed from its casings and crumbled.

Dried lentils — These legumes are really nutritious as well as affordable, and don’t require the long soaking time of dried beans. I use brown lentils, but you could also use red lentils or green lentils. They are a great source of plant-based protein, so I always have some on hand. They are sold with the dry beans in packages, but you can often find them in a bulk bin at the natural food store.

Onion — You can use any kind of bulb onion you have on hand — white, yellow, or red. I typically use yellow onion, as it’s what I regularly keep on hand.

Garlic — Finely chopped garlic adds that spicy zing we all love so much.

Broth — I keep homemade chicken stock on hand, either in the freezer or in the pantry. Beef broth or vegetable broth will also work. You can use homemade broth or store bought.

Carrots — Slice the carrots into rounds or cut them smaller if you prefer. Either way is fine.

Diced tomatoes — Use store bought diced tomatoes in cans or your own homemade canned tomatoes. 

Celery — What’s a good stew without celery? Together with carrots and onion, it’s part of the “holy trinity” of cooking. 

Red wine — It’s optional, but the addition of wine really does add depth.

Lemon juice — This ingredient gives the stew a nice, bright flavor.

Making this Easy Lentil Stew

Begin by browning the sausage in a large pot or large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. (If you’re using link sausage, remove it from its casings.) Crumble it as it cooks. Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking. You’ll need about 20 minutes to sauté the sausage, onions, and garlic.

Once that’s done, add lentils, stock, bay leaves, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for an hour. Remove bay leaf and add remaining ingredients, simmering for another 30 minutes. This is a pretty hands-off length of time. Just stir the soup once in awhile as it’s cooking.

Serving this Stew

Ladle stew into bowls and garnish with sliced green onions and fresh parsley if desired. This recipe is delicious served with bread. Try these homemade biscuits for a quick addition to the menu!

FAQs

Does lentil color matter?

It can make a difference! I warn you in the recipe that this isn’t a good “all day cooker” and you might not want to use a crockpot unless you’re around to keep an eye on doneness. Brown and green tend to hold their shape better, so you would do best to stick with those for this recipe, especially if you will be heating up leftovers. Yellow and red will still taste great but they make break down more as you stir while reheating and eating! Just keep that in mind as it may change the texture of the leftovers as well and thicken them.

Do I need to presoak lentils?

I don’t always do this step. Some say they are like beans and soaking can reduce the gassy parts. But I find it isn’t necessary for me and you can easily skip that for this recipe. However, you always want to inspect and rinse lentils and dried beans. They can have stones or other pieces of vegetation that you don’t want in your meal!

Storage

Leftover stew can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a saucepan. For longer storage, transfer to a freezer container and freeze for 3-4 months. (Be sure to allow enough headspace for expansion in the freezer!)

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