Lentil Soup

Add lentils with spinach and chicken sausage to your healthy food menu. You’ll love this soup recipe because of its wonderful flavor. It’s made with red wine.

Cooking with Red Wine

Cooking with red wine enhances the flavor of lentil soup. Not a drinker of red wine? Me either, but I saw a recipe once with red wine, lentils, and kale, so I made it.

However, I don’t care for kale that much and made mine with spinach instead.

pot of Lentils
Lentils with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

Can you use cooking wine to make lentils?

You can, but you might not want to use cooking wine when you find out how unhealthy it is. See below why it’s not recommended.

Learn the do’s and don’ts to cooking with wine from Wine Country Travel. This site’s article on how to cook with red wine is helpful. For instance, it’s recommended not to use cooking wine because of the sugar, acidity, and salt.

Substitutions

As I mentioned, I used spinach instead of kale. My husband loved it and requested that I make it again.

You can use kale as a substitution for the spinach. Or, cook the lentils with only the sausage if you don’t care for either of the vegetables.

What to Serve with the Lentils

Begin the meal with an appetizer of toasted French bread. Dip in extra virgin olive oil seasoned with herbs.

Serve the soup with one or more of the following sides:

  • crackers
  • side vegetable salad
  • rice
  • cornbread

Or make it an easy meal-in-a-pot without the sides. After all, it’s nutritious with protein and fiber and already includes a vegetable.

Types of Lentils

This soup recipe was made with brown lentils. However, you can use black or green. You can also use red, though that will make a mushy, creamy lentil soup (which would be quite tasty as well).

Learn more at Northern Nester, and read a complete guide to the types of lentils.

If you like lentil soup with sausage, you may like Lentil Soup with Chicken Apple Sausage and Root Vegetables. And then if you want to skip the lentils but want a chicken soup with vegetables, this Chicken Alfredo Pea Soup.

Lentils with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

A one-pot meal of lentils with spinach and chicken sausage

Calories 245 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 package Aidells apple-chicken sausage
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 2 tablespoon minced garlic or two cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic & pepper seasoning more or less, according to your preference
  • 1 red chili pepper (or 1 hot chili pepper from jar) optional
  • 2-1/2 cup water
  • 1-1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 cup Brown lentils Can use French green or black lentils
  • 12 cup chopped spinach
  • 1-1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

  1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a large pot or skillet over medium heat.

  2. Slice the chicken sausages, add to the pot and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.

  3. Set sausage aside in a separate bowl.

  4. Add 2 tsp oil and onion to the pot and cook until brown, about 5 minutes.

  5. Add garlic and other seasonings and cook, stirring for a minute or two.

  6. Add water and wine, and increase heat to high then bring to boil.

  7. Rinse the lentils (no need to soak them), sift through and discard any pebbles, bad lentils, or debris.

  8. Add the lentils to the pot and reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.

  9. Add spinach, sausage, and salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally until the lentils and spinach are tender, about 10-15 more minutes.

  10. Ready to eat!

Recipe Notes

Brown lentils were used for this recipe. However, you can use black or green. You can even use red, but the texture of your lentil dish will be a bit mushier than if using brown, black, or green lentils.

 

 

4 Comments

  1. Hi Angie! This sounds like a hearty and nutritious recipe. I have one question: When do I add the browned sausage slices back to the pot? Are they cooked along with the lentils or added back in before serving?

    1. Author

      Thank you, Mary. I had intended to update the last couple of instructions but forgot. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
      The sausage links I buy are precooked, so it isn’t necessary for them to cook long. Ten or fifteen minutes works well.
      I hope you enjoy!!

  2. I love this recipe. The combination of red wine and the chicken apple sausage with the lentils and greens are really delicious. Great recipe!

    1. Author

      Thank you, Patti! My daughter saw the original lentil recipe, and I adapted it using the chicken apple sausage and spinach instead of kale. I love it!

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