We literally never used the same meats in lentil soup back then it was whatever was leftover from our Sunday Tomato Sauce recipe so it could be sausage, pork ribs, beef, or even chicken.
The recipe I have written uses loose sausage meat since if you want a robust delicious soup that isn't using leftovers then you can enjoy her soup with that same delicious flavor.
Simple ingredients with carrots, celery, onion, and seasonings using beef broth make this super tasty.
If you're a lentil fan try Grandma's soup and if you happen to have leftover meats anything can go into this pot not just sausage so use it!
Scroll down to the recipe card and let's get a tasty soup into your bowl!
Step By Step
- sort the lentils and wash them
- saute the sausage or if using leftover meats you can skip this step
- add all the rest of the ingredients including lentils and simmer for 1 hour
- add cooked rice and spinach
- ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese and croutons
Additions and Mix-in Suggestions for this Soup
- green beans
- chickpeas
- peas
- mixed frozen vegetables
- kale
- escarole
- curly cabbage sliced fine
- pinto beans
- black beans
- 15 beans dried beans cooked
- not a bean lover? use another vegetable or add barley
- substitute cooked small pasta IE orzo for rice
- use any meats IE boneless beef, boneless pork, leftover chicken or turkey, or any parts of the chicken (raw or cooked to make the broth)
- any cooked pasta you prefer we used orecchiette
Try Some More Of Our Favorite Recipes
Grandma's Home Chicken Soup
Italian Minestrone
Best Soup Recipes
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Yield: 12
Grandma's Lentils Rice and Sausage Soup
This Italian lentil, rice, and sausage soup is a vintage recipe Grandma made often in the colder part of winter to warm us up.
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 10 M
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian sweet loose sausage or taken out of the casings (or use leftover boneless pork, beef, chicken, or any other meat that was from a previous meal or in tomato sauce from a Sunday dinner)
- 6 cups beef broth
- 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves
- 3/4 cup finely minced onion
- 2/3 cup diced celery
- 3/4 cup diced carrots
- 28 ounces whole San Marzano tomatoes chopped by hand and using the juice
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 1/2 cups dried brown lentils
- 1/4 cup fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup cooked long-grain rice
- Optional Garnish: Pecorino Romano grated cheese and Garlic Croutons
Instructions
- Sort the lentils and remove any stones then rinse in hot water.
- Dice all the vegetables ( I sometimes add them to a food processor and then add them to the soup)
- Saute the sausage in a 5 to 8-quart soup pot in 2 tablespoons olive oil with garlic and onions for around 3 minutes stirring constantly.
- Drain some of the grease out.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients in the pot then simmer for around 1 hour until the lentils are soft and cooked.
- While simmering taste the juice to ensure it's seasoned enough with salt, and pepper add more if needed.
- While simmering cook the rice to package instructions and drain.
- Stir in the cooked rice and spinach ( the spinach will wilt).
- Serve with Pecorino Romano grated cheese on top and garlic croutons.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
268.25Fat (grams)
11.54 gSat. Fat (grams)
3.96 gCarbs (grams)
25.79 gFiber (grams)
9.49 gNet carbs
16.32 gSugar (grams)
4.37 gProtein (grams)
16.02 gSodium (milligrams)
823.71 mgCholesterol (grams)
29.82 mgThe default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.
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