It’s January in Connecticut, which means we are making LOTS of soups over here. So if you’re looking for a delicious and hearty meal to warm you up from the inside on a cold winter day, look no further than this ultimate meal-in-a-bowl soup. Packed with sausage, lentils, and vegetables, it’s sure to fill you up and keep you cozy. But don’t forget to add the special finishing touch – fried garlic! I have a genius hack to make fried garlic in your MICROWAVE and I know you might be thinking that it sounds too good to be true, but I promise you, it’s possible. Don’t skimp on this step, the fried garlic and garlic oil is really the special finishing touch when serving this soup.

Watch Me Make My Lentil Sausage Soup with Fried Garlic

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How To Make My Lentil Sausage Soup with Fried Garlic

Step 1. In a large pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the sausage, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown, about five minutes.

Step 2. Add the onion, celery, carrots, first two minced garlic cloves, and a pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, another 5 minutes.

Step 3. Add the lentils, bay leaves, tomatoes, stock, and water.  Add a big pinch of salt, and black pepper to taste. 

Step 4. Bring to a simmer, cover partially with a lid, and allow to cook until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  Taste the soup halfway through and add more salt if it needs it.  Mine always needs a couple more big pinches of salt since I use unsalted stock. 

Step 5. When the soup is almost done, combine the remaining two cloves of minced garlic and remaining two tablespoons of oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. 

Step 6. Microwave on high power for 3-5 minutes, I always check it at 3.  Stir with a heat-resistant rubber spatula, scraping down sides of the bowl. You want the garlic to turn only lightly golden, as it will continue to cook in the hot oil once it’s removed from the microwave.  

Step 7. To serve:  Remove the bay leaves from the soup.  Ladle soup into shallow bowls and top with the pecorino cheese, a teaspoon of the fried garlic and oil and a few cracks of black pepper. This soup freezes well and leftovers will keep for several days in the fridge!

Step 8. Enjoy!

What Else Can I Use?

• You can use both brown or green lentils in this soup.  Green lentils hold their shape a bit better than brown, so just expect a softer texture with brown.
• I love kielbasa in this soup, but you can use any sausage you like including chicken sausage if that’s your thing.
• If you want to add some greens in here, simply drop in a couple of cups of cut kale or Swiss chard into the finished soup and they will wilt quite quickly and mix right in.
• If you don’t eat dairy, simply leave the pecorino cheese out when serving the soup.
• If you’re using homemade unsalted stock, you’ll want more salt than if your stock is salted already.
• If the soup looks too thick, add a little more water as it’ll continue to thicken as it cools.  I like it on the hearty, chunkier side. 

This Lentil Sausage Soup with Fried Garlic is special because:

This soup is hearty and filling

It’s the perfect excuse to try out my microwave fried garlic hack

It freezes well and leftovers will keep for several days in the fridge!

More Hungry Lady Soups

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup (Gluten-Free, Whole 30, Dairy Free)

Speedy Red Lentil Soup with Lemon (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

While Bean and Chicken Sausage with Greens (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

If you make my Lentil Sausage Soup with Fried Garlic, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!

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