Italian Lentil Sausage Soup

Lentil soup with Italian sausage is the kind of pot that comes together from pantry staples and tastes like it took all afternoon. Lentils are notoriously underrated for soup; they hold their shape, cook in under an hour, and add silky body to the broth as some break down naturally during the simmer.

The two-pan technique is the key to depth. While the lentils and sausage simmer in the soup pot, the aromatics get a separate saute in olive oil with marjoram and crushed tomatoes. This lets the vegetables develop deeper flavors than they would just dumped into the soup at the start. Combined at the end, you get layered taste rather than monochrome stew.

Marjoram is the unexpected herb. Less assertive than oregano, with a sweeter, almost floral edge, marjoram is what tells you this is Italian and not generic peasant soup. Don’t substitute oregano without thinking; the dish will taste different.

Use hot Italian sausage for a kick, or sweet for a milder version. Both work; the only wrong answer is generic breakfast sausage, which lacks the fennel and garlic profile this dish needs.

Pro Tips

• Pick over the lentils before rinsing. Tiny stones occasionally hide in the bag and will crack a tooth.
• Brown the sausage in the saute pan before adding to the lentils for extra caramelized flavor (optional but worth the extra 5 minutes).
• Salt at the end. Italian sausage already contains significant sodium, so taste before reaching for the salt shaker.
• This soup tastes even better the next day. Make a double batch.

Variations

• Stir in 2 cups of fresh chopped spinach or kale at the end for added greens.
• Add a parmesan rind to the simmer for incredible umami depth (pull it before serving).
• Top each bowl with a drizzle of olive oil, a grating of parmesan, and a few fresh torn basil leaves.