Description
Hearty, savory, and packed with flavor, this Slow Cooker Sausage Lentil Soup is the ultimate comfort meal for busy weeknights. Loaded with brown lentils, smoked sausage, and a medley of vegetables, it simmers low and slow into a rich, deeply satisfying dish. Perfect for meal prep, healthy dinner ideas, or cozy food inspiration. It’s a quick-prep, easy recipe that fits into any collection of dinner ideas, healthy soups, or one-pot meals.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
12 oz smoked sausage, sliced
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery for 5-6 minutes until softened.
2. Stir in garlic and tomato paste, cooking for 1 minute more.
3. Transfer mixture to the slow cooker.
4. Add lentils, diced tomatoes, sausage, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
5. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours until lentils are tender.
6. Remove bay leaves and adjust seasoning if needed.
7. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve hot.
Notes
Use pre-cooked smoked sausage to skip browning steps.
Lentils don’t need soaking—just rinse them.
Add greens like kale or spinach in the last 15 minutes for extra nutrients.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 880mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: lentil soup, slow cooker dinner, sausage soup, easy dinner ideas, comforting soup