This black lentil soup is thick and hearty, with crumbled hot Italian sausage, seasoned ground turkey, tomatoes, and a big handful of spinach stirred in at the end. The black lentils stay whole and tender, and the broth comes out rich and warm with just a bit of heat. It all happens in one Dutch oven in a little over an hour, and most of that time the pot simmers on its own.
I went looking for a soup because I wanted something high in protein, the kind of soup that sticks to your ribs. I had ground turkey in the fridge and black lentils in the pantry (I love black lentils), and I landed on Sarah DiGregorio's Slow-Cooker Lentil Soup With Sausage and Greens on NYT Cooking. It looked like exactly what I wanted, except for the slow cooker.
Here's my issue with most slow cooker soups: to build flavor, you still have to brown the meat and sauté the onions and aromatics first. I've thought about buying an Instant Pot to get around that, but I try not to bring home a new appliance unless I really need it. So I moved the whole thing to the stovetop and made a few changes to simplify the process while keeping as much flavor as possible. The biggest one: I swapped some of the sausage for ground turkey to get more protein with a little less saturated fat.
Ingredient Notes for This Black Lentil Soup
Black lentils (beluga lentils). These small, glossy lentils keep their shape through a long simmer, so the soup stays brothy with distinct lentils instead of turning into a puree. French green lentils (lentilles du Puy) are the closest swap, with a similar firm bite. Regular brown or green lentils work too, but they soften and break down more, so the soup will be thicker and they may be tender sooner. Skip red lentils here, since they dissolve completely. If black lentils are new to you, my guide on how to cook black lentils walks through the basics.
Hot Italian sausage. I used 3 hot Italian sausage links (about 12 ounces) with the casings removed. Browning it first leaves behind flavorful fat that seasons everything else in the pot. Sweet Italian sausage works if you want a milder soup.
Ground turkey and its seasoning. A pound of ground turkey adds a lot of protein, and a quick mix of fennel seed, oregano, basil, paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes gives it the same flavor as the sausage, so the two blend together in the bowl. If you like the idea of seasoning turkey this way, my Italian turkey sausage builds on it. I used 93% lean turkey.
Greens. I used baby spinach, which wilts in about 2 minutes. Kale or Swiss chard work well too; just stem and chop them and give them a few extra minutes in the pot.
Chicken stock. This soup uses 12 cups, which may look like a lot. A wide Dutch oven lets more liquid steam off than a covered slow cooker, and the lentils keep drinking up broth as they cook. Taste before adding salt at the end, since stocks vary so much.
How to Make Black Lentil Soup
Start by stirring together the turkey seasoning in a small bowl: 1 teaspoon lightly crushed fennel seed, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the sausage (about 12 ounces, casings removed), breaking it into small pieces, until it's browned and sizzling in its own fat, 6 to 8 minutes. Leave it right in the pot.
Add 1 pound of ground turkey right on top of the sausage and sprinkle the seasoning over it. Break it all up as it cooks, adding a drizzle of olive oil if the pot looks dry, until the turkey is browned in spots, another 6 to 8 minutes. Scoop the meat into a bowl and leave a thin layer of fat in the pot for the onions.
Add 1 chopped red or yellow onion with a good pinch of salt and cook until it softens, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat, add 6 chopped garlic cloves, and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, and plenty of black pepper.
Turn the heat back up and pour in a splash of the chicken stock. Scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pot, since that's where so much of the flavor is, and let it bubble until it's nearly dry, 2 to 3 minutes.
Return the sausage and turkey to the pot. Add 2 cups rinsed black lentils, a 14-ounce can of whole or chopped tomatoes with their juice (crush whole tomatoes with your hands as they go in), and the rest of the 12 cups of stock. Lay 3 sprigs of thyme, 2 sprigs of oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried), and 1 bay leaf on top. Bring it to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir now and then, and start tasting the lentils around the 30-minute mark; they're ready when they're tender but still holding their shape.
Fish out the thyme stems and the bay leaf. Stir in 5 ounces of greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes for spinach or 5 to 8 minutes for kale or chard. Finish with 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, which brightens the whole pot, then taste and add salt as needed.
How to Serve
I made a big batch and have been eating this for lunch for days. A bowl is so filling that I don't need anything else with it, but a few additions make it even better.
- With crusty bread. A thick slice for dunking is how I eat it most days.
- Topped with Parmesan and basil. A little grated Parmesan melts into the hot broth, and fresh basil keeps it from feeling heavy.
- With butter bean croutons. When the bread runs out, a handful of crispy butter bean croutons adds the crunch.
- Packed for lunch. Portion it into containers and lunch is covered for most of the week.
Tips, Tricks, and Alterations
Spice level. With hot sausage plus red pepper flakes in both the turkey and the aromatics, this soup lands on the spicy side, but it's more rich and warm with a little heat than fiery. For a milder pot, use sweet Italian sausage and leave the pepper flakes out of the onions.
A seasoning shortcut for next time. When I make this again, I plan to mix a small batch of Italian seasoning, stir some into the turkey while it cooks, and bloom the rest with the onions. That would cut down the spice list. I haven't tested it that way yet, so the recipe below is written the way I made it.
Making a smaller batch. The full recipe makes 10 servings and needs a big Dutch oven (7 quarts or larger). For a 5- to 6-quart pot, halve everything: about 1½ sausage links, ½ pound turkey, 1 cup lentils, half the can of tomatoes, and 6 cups stock. I haven't tested a half batch, so keep a little extra stock nearby.
It thickens as it sits. The lentils keep soaking up broth in the fridge. Add a splash of stock or water when you reheat it.
Storage. Keep leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days. This soup freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop.
FAQ
Can I make this black lentil soup in a slow cooker?
Yes, that's how the original recipe is written. Brown the sausage and turkey and cook the aromatics on the stovetop first, then move everything to the slow cooker with the lentils, tomatoes, and stock, and cook on low until the lentils are tender, about 6 to 8 hours. A covered slow cooker loses much less liquid than a Dutch oven, so start with about 8 cups of stock and add more if it gets thick. Stir in the greens and vinegar at the end.
If you're in a lentil soup mood, my classic lentil soup with ham bone is the one that first got me cooking with lentils. And if you make this one, I'd love to hear how spicy you took it. A 5-star rating also helps other busy cooks find it.
Recipe
Black Lentil Soup with Sausage, Turkey and Greens
Equipment
- Dutch oven (7 quarts or larger)
Ingredients
For the Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
For the Soup:
- 3 links hot Italian sausage about 12 ounces, casings removed
- 1 pound ground turkey 93% lean
- olive oil as needed
- 1 red or yellow onion chopped
- kosher salt
- 6 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- red pepper flakes a generous pinch
- black pepper
- 2 cups dried black (beluga) lentils rinsed
- 1 can whole or chopped tomatoes 14 ounces, with juice
- 12 cups chicken stock divided
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 ounces baby spinach or kale or Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- fresh basil chopped, for serving
- Parmesan grated, for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the fennel seed, dried oregano, basil, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and sizzling, 6 to 8 minutes. Leave it in the pot.
- Add 1 pound ground turkey on top of the sausage and sprinkle the seasoning over it. Cook, breaking it all up (add a drizzle of olive oil if the pot looks dry), until the turkey is browned in spots, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a bowl, leaving a thin layer of fat in the pot.
- Add the onion with a good pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, 2 minutes. Stir in the onion powder, garlic powder, a generous pinch of red pepper flakes, and plenty of black pepper.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, add a splash of the chicken stock, and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until nearly dry, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Return the meat to the pot. Add 2 cups lentils, the tomatoes with their juice (crushing whole tomatoes by hand), and the remaining chicken stock. Lay the thyme, oregano, and bay leaf on top. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
- Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf. Stir in 5 ounces greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes for spinach or 5 to 8 minutes for kale or chard. Stir in 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and season with salt to taste. Serve topped with chopped basil and grated Parmesan.
Notes
Lentil swap: French green lentils are the closest substitute. Brown or green lentils work but soften more, giving a thicker soup.
Smaller batch: halve all ingredients and use a 5- to 6-quart pot (not yet tested at half size).
Leftovers: the soup thickens as it sits; add stock or water when reheating. Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Adapted from Sarah DiGregorio's Slow-Cooker Lentil Soup With Sausage and Greens, NYT Cooking. Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredients and preparation.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!