My family didn’t eat a lot of legumes growing up. Aside from green beans, peas, and an occasional (and delicious) pot of baked beans at a summer barbecue, legumes didn’t really exist in my mother’s kitchen repertoire. I remember my Aunt Sonnie making split pea soup using the leftover Easter ham and bone. My mother wanted nothing to do with it and I assumed mom knew best and never even tasted the soup.

Thankfully, as I grew up, tried, and found pleasure in many foods my mom would never have eaten, legumes found their way into my life. I’ve been making split pea, bean, and lentil soups now for a few years. The foundation of each of these is the same — plenty of vegetables to flavor the broth, the legume (split peas, lentils, or beans), and for us, non-vegetarians, some form of meat to add additional protein and flavor. But vegetarians will find these recipes delicious too! In fact, if you’ve been following along for a while, you know that I love to pack some extra veggies into recipes like this soup for Brian (and me) to get more veggies in our diet.

What are lentils?

Lentils are a legume. They are in the same family as beans, chickpeas, snap peas, etc. as they grow in pods. As a food crop, 58% of all lentils are grown in Canada and India. In some places, lentils are called pulses. Lentils can be red, brown, black, and green.

What type of lentils should I buy?

You’ll mostly find flat green or brown lentils at the store. In my opinion, these are the best lentils for this soup recipe as they have a mild flavor. Also, while they will absorb liquid, they won’t lose their shape when cooked providing some texture to your soup.

Why eat lentils?

Lentils are high in protein, fiber, and complex carbohydrates while low in fat and calories, making them quite nutritious. They are naturally gluten-free which is a bonus for gluten-free eaters. Added bonus, they are low on the glycemic index.

Do I need to soak lentils?

Unlike cooking dried beans, you do not need to soak lentils before cooking. It is, however, recommended that you rinse them underwater. I also recommend that you comb through them with your fingers looking for any small stones that may have inadvertently been included in your package of lentils.

Stovetop or Instant Pot??

You can cook this soup on the stovetop or in your instant pot or in another electric pressure cooker. Of course, the instant pot is slightly faster than the stovetop, but there’s something about cooking a pot of soup on the stove, especially in the winter when it’s chilly outside. If you’re a fellow RVer, I suggest cooking this on the stovetop in the winter or when boondocking and cooking it in a pressure cooker if you make it in warmer weather or are short on time and at a full hook-up site.

Hearty Sausage and Lentil Soup

Warm yourself up from the inside out with this delicious and filling soup! Naturally gluten-free, loaded with fresh vegetables, and easily made vegetarian by omitting the meat. This soup recipe will leave everyone happy and satisfied!

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• Large Pot
• Wooden Spoon
• Knife
• Cutting Board

• 2 medium onions (chopped)
• 3-4 stalks celery (chopped)
• 3-4 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 2-3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only, chopped )
• 6 cloves garlic (minced)
• 3-4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Kosher salt (plus additional)
• 2 tsp black pepper (ground)
• 3 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme (fresh or substitue 1 tbsp dry)
• 6-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock (you can substitute water or use a combination of water and stock)
• 1 pound lentils (flat green or brown will work fine (see notes above))
• 1 pound smoked sausage (any smoked sausage will work but we prefer the garlicy flavor of kielbasa in this recipe)
• 1 pound spinach (rough chopped)
• 1 splash red wine vinegar (or the juice of half a lemon)

1. Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large pot, dutch oven, or your pressure cooker set to high saute.

2. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and leeks and saute until soft, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper as the veggies start to soften.

3. Add the garlic to the pot and saute for an additional 30 seconds.

4. Deglaze the pan by adding some of the chicken stock and scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan.

5. Add the lentils and the remaining chicken stock (at least enough to cover everything with an inch of liquid to spare).

6. Bring the mixture to a boil and lower the heat to a slow simmer for 30 minutes. (See below if you are cooking in a pressure cooker.)

7. Add the sausage to the mixture and continue simmering for an additional 30 minutes.

8. Just before serving, stir in the chopped spinach and a splash of red wine vinegar or the juice of half a lemon.

9. Ladle the soup into a bowl and enjoy!

To cook in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot:

• after you have added the chicken stock and lentils to your pot, place the lid on your pot and turn the knob to seal for pressure cooking.
• cook on manual high pressure for 15 minutes followed by quick release.
• turn to saute and add the sausage.  allow to cook for 5 or 10 minutes until heated through.  
• add the spinach and the vinegar or lemon juice and serve.

Dinner, Lunch, Soup

gluten free, gluten-free recipe, legume, lentil