Spicy Sausage Lentil Kale (Printable)

A warming combination of sausage, lentils, and kale simmered in a savory tomato broth.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 12 oz spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 2 medium carrots, diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 4 cups fresh kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

→ Legumes

07 - 1 cup brown or green lentils, rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
09 - 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juices
10 - 2 cups water

→ Spices and Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
13 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
14 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
15 - 1 bay leaf
16 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Oils

17 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Remove excess fat if necessary.
02 - Add onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, thyme, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add lentils, diced tomatoes with juices, broth, water, and bay leaf. Stir well to combine.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until lentils are tender.
06 - Remove the bay leaf. Stir in chopped kale and simmer uncovered for another 5 to 7 minutes until kale is wilted and tender.
07 - Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that fills your kitchen with warmth before you even taste it, and actually tastes better the next day.
  • The spicy sausage does all the heavy lifting for flavor, so you're not fussing with a dozen seasonings to make it interesting.
  • One pot, forty-five minutes, and you have enough to feed people or sustain yourself through half the week.
02 -
  • The lentils will keep absorbing liquid as the soup sits, so if you're reheating it the next day, you might need to add a splash of water or broth to get back to the consistency you want.
  • Don't skip rinsing the lentils—I learned this the hard way when a batch came out with a gritty texture that no amount of cooking could fix.
  • The red pepper flakes are flexible; start with half a teaspoon and taste as you go, because spice is personal and you can always add more but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Buy good sausage from a butcher if you can—it makes a measurable difference in how the soup tastes, and they'll remove the casings for free if you ask.
  • Don't crowd your pot when you're browning the sausage; give it space to actually brown instead of steaming, which takes two minutes longer but changes everything about the final flavor.
  • Taste the soup before you serve it, every single time—seasoning needs are different depending on your broth brand and what produce you used, and five seconds of adjustment makes the difference between good and unforgettable.
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