Sausage Lentil Soup! A cozy, hearty stew made easy in the slow cooker instant pot. Full of flavor and so satisfying!
This post was originally published in December 2017. It was republished in 2023 and continues to be an all-time reader and family favorite recipe!
If you’re like me and always on the hunt for easy, delicious and satisfying soup recipes, you’ll want to try this one!
I love how hearty and cozy sausage lentil stew is and this recipe doesn’t disappoint. It is full of flavor and perfect for a cold night.
We’ve made this soup for a few years now and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. We most often make it with a side of gluten-free cornbread or gluten-free corn muffins. My kids love this meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy-to-make
- Can be made in the instant pot or on the stovetop
- Hearty and comforting
- Full of flavor!
VIDEO: See how to make it!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here are a few notes on the key ingredients you’ll need to make this soup.
- Sausage: I like to use mild Italian sausage in this lentil sausage soup. You can also use hot Italian sausage if you prefer! I usually use pork sausage, but chicken sausage will also work.
- Lentils: I like to use small, French lentils. I think they have the best texture and flavor when cooked, but any kind of lentil (brown lentils, red lentils) will work!
- Kale: I like to add some chopped kale to this stew when it’s finished cooking for some greens. Sausage and kale go so well together in stews – even people who aren’t crazy about kale will like it.
- Chicken stock: You can also use chicken broth. I usually use the boxed kind from Costco.
- Red pepper flakes: 1/2 teaspoon won’t make it too spicy! It just gives the soup even more flavor. You can use more if you prefer!
Gluten-Free?
Just a note about lentils – they are often cross-contaminated with other gluten-containing grains. So be sure to carefully rinse and pick over lentils before cooking with them. I like to use French green lentils as they hold their shape well and aren’t as often cross-contaminated.
You can top this is so parmesan cheese or leave it off like I do to keep things dairy-free. My husband likes to top his with hot sauce.
This recipe makes a big batch of stew which is great because the leftovers are delicious. Add it to your weeknight instant pot dinner rotation! You also might like this gluten-free chicken pot pie, sirloin tip roast or this gluten-free beef stew! Or check out my full list of gluten-free soup recipes!
MORE COMFORTING SOUPS
Sausage Lentil Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker!)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 3-4 carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 29 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 5 cups chicken stock (+1-2 more cups for the slow cooker)
- 1 1/2 cups dry lentils rinsed and picked over (preferably French Green Lentils)
- 1 cup finely chopped kale optional
Instructions
FOR THE INSTANT POT:
- Press the SAUTE button on the instant pot and let preheat for 1-2 minutes. Add the olive oil and Italian sausage. Cook, breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until no longer pink.
- Add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt.
- Add the diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and lentils. Stir to combine.
- Close the instant pot and press MANUAL and set timer for 10 minutes. When the time is up let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest of the steam.
- Stir in the chopped kale. Serve topped with parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
FOR THE SLOW-COOKER:
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and Italian sausage. Cook, breaking into small pieces with a spoon, until no longer pink.
- Add the onion, celery and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and salt.
- Transfer the sausage/vegetable mixture to the slow-cooker. Add the diced tomatoes, 6 cups of chicken stock, and lentils. Stir to combine.
- Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir in the chopped kale. Serve topped with parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!
Best lentil soup we’ve tried!
Yay! We’re so glad you loved it! Thank you for the positive feedback, Jenny.
2nd time making in a week! This is delicious!
Yay! We’re so pleased to hear the recipe has become such a go-to! Thank you for your kind feedback!
I’m pretty sure my comment isn’t worth much as I modified the recipe a good amount. This was a good foundation upon which to apply my ideas though.
I did beef broth concentrate, skipped the kale and tomato paste. My big difference was adding a can of coconut milk before cooking. Once cooked in the Instant Pot, the coconut milk isn’t visibly there, but it adds a nice richness of mouthfeel as well as making it more satisfying. I like it and would make it again.
Hi Megan, thank you for sharing with us! Those swaps sound delicious. We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe as inspiration!
Fifty years ago as a young bride a neighbor gave me the above recipe using kibasie. Of course that was pre instant pot and slow cooker. So happy to find your recipe that checked all the boxes. Thank you.
Hi Mary, we’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for taking the time to share with us!
Made this last night using Instant Pot. Was so delicious. Is a keeper.
Hi SheriLee, we’re so glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us!
Thank you for this! We have eaten similar from a canned soup option, so when I ran across this, it made sense to try. Way better than I even guessed! We used Italian chicken sausage and amped up the veggie quantity to meet our healthy diet goals, but no other changes. It was even better on day 2. This recipe definitely makes a ton, so can’t wait to see how well the leftovers reheat from frozen. Have shared with family members who love to find new and easy options. Thanks again!
Yay! We’re so happy to hear how much you all enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us!
Made this in the instant pot & it’s a winner! Great cold weather meal. I chopped everything in advance so it came together quickly. Lots of leftovers & have some for lunches in the freezer!
Made this in the Insapot and it’s delish. A bit smokey and rich. Fall and winter winner. Perfect size for family of four plus another dinner for the freezer. Celiac approved!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the soup recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Hello Erin,
I would love to make this recipe but I don’t own an instant pot or a slow cooker. How do I cook this on the stovetop?
Hi Denise, good question! Just follow the instructions for the instant pot through step 4. Add 1-2 cups additional liquid and simmer on medium-low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe. I was wondering how I should adjust the cooking time on the instant pot if I’m using soaked lentils that have been soaking for 24 hours?
Thanks
Hi Gail, we’ve only used dry lentils with this recipe so we can’t say for certain. The general rule of thumb for soaking lentils is that it can cut cooking time down by half, but we’ve never tested that with an instant pot recipe before. If you decide to give it a try, we’d love to hear how it goes!
I use this recipe all the time. Family loves it. Easy to use in the Instant Pot. I just noticed that ingredients say 5 cups of chicken stock, but the instructions say 6 cups of chicken stock. Which do you recommend?
Hi Jimmy, the 5 cups is for the instant pot and 6 cups is for the slow cooker so it just depends on which device you use. We hope this helps!
I LOVE this recipe! It’s the only way my husband will eat lentils. I use Trader Joe’s garlic & herb chicken sausage, am generous with the garlic, and add a bit of cumin – about the same amount as the red chili flakes. I top it very similarly to chili, with cheese, onion, sour cream, and something crunch like corn chips – whatever we’ve got at home. The leftovers are AMAZING, often better than the first serving. Instant Pot is my favorite way to make it, but I’ve made it on the stove too. Thank you for coming up with this, Erin! Fantastic dish.
What other veggies can we add besides carrot, onion and celery? Can I use frozen kale?
Hi Annie, thank you for your question! We like to add some chopped kale to this stew when it’s finished cooking. We haven’t tried frozen, but that should work great!
What is the serving size? TIA!
Hi Stephanie, this recipe makes 10 servings. Each serving is roughly 1 cup. We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Great recipe, did this in the Instant Pot and my only changes were adding two bay leaves and subbing baby spinach for kale. Otherwise, excellent recipe, my go to recipe going forward.