Spicy sausage lentil kale (Printer View)

A flavorful, nourishing blend of spicy sausage, lentils, and kale in a rich tomato broth.

# What you'll 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 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 canned diced tomatoes with juices
10 - 2 cups water

→ Spices & 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

# Method:

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 -
  • The spicy sausage does most of the flavor work, so you can feel accomplished without breaking a sweat.
  • Lentils keep everything hearty and protein-packed, meaning you won't be hungry again in two hours.
  • It actually tastes better the next day, which makes it perfect for meal prep or forgetting about dinner stress.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the sausage—that crusty, caramelized stage is where the soup gets its backbone, and rushing through it makes the whole thing taste flat and one-dimensional.
  • Add the kale at the very end; if it cooks too long, it falls apart into nothing and loses its identity instead of adding texture and nutrition to each spoonful.
03 -
  • If your lentils are cooking too fast or too slow, it's usually because of water hardness or altitude—just adjust the cooking time by a few minutes and trust what you see in the pot, not just the clock.
  • Taste the broth before you add salt, because the sausage and broth both carry sodium, and you might need less than you expect to feel like enough.
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