There’s something magical about walking into Carrabba’s Italian Grill on a chilly evening and being greeted by a steaming bowl of their famous Sausage Lentil Soup. This hearty, rustic soup has become a beloved favorite among restaurant-goers, combining the earthiness of lentils with the rich flavor of Italian sausage. Today, I’m sharing my perfected copycat version that brings that same restaurant magic right to your kitchen.
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Table of Contents
Why Carrabbas Lentil Soup with Sausage is so good!
Sometimes, all you need for an incredible meal is hot soup and a hunk of crusty bread. Carrabba’s Sausage Lentil Soup is simple to make, easy to store, inexpensive, and delicious.
It’s the perfect lunch to take to work or enjoy as a light supper at home during those colder months.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- No fancy techniques required
- Simple, everyday ingredients
- Budget-friendly yet restaurant-quality
- Perfect for meal prep and freezing
- Hearty enough for a complete meal
- Gets better with time
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients for this sausage and lentil soup are:
- White onion – creates flavor foundation
- Carrot – adds natural sweetness and color
- Celery – provides an aromatic base
- Garlic – contributes essential Italian flavor
- Salt – enhances all flavors
- Butter or olive oil Рfor saut̩ing and richness
- Italian sausage – provides rich, meaty flavor and fennel notes
- Chicken broth – creates a flavorful soup base
- Italian seasoning – adds classic herb profile
- Canned diced tomatoes – contribute acidity and texture
- Brown lentils – offers protein and hearty texture
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
If you prefer, you can use bouillon cubes or Better Than Bouillon instead of chicken broth.
You can use bulk or sausage in the casing. If you go with sausage in the casing, cut into quarter-inch cubes before cooking. The type with a thick fennel flavor is the best one to get. Or you can make your own Italian sausage.
For a lighter version, try using Italian-style turkey sausage instead.
Spicy sausage lentil soup – you can use hot Italian sausage
Vegetarians can substitute a vegetable broth and swap out the pork sausage for a plant-based alternative, like, Vejje’s Meat-Free Italian Sausage or Field Roast’s Vegetarian Grain Meat Sausages.
How to Make Lentil Soup With Sausage
Here are the steps for making this copycat Carrabba’s sausage lentil soup recipe:
- Heat a heavy-bottom soup pot, Dutch oven, or large saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
- While the pot warms up, cut the onions, carrots, and celery into small dice.
- Put the butter or vegetable oil into the pot and add the diced vegetables.
- Cook the vegetables, occasionally stirring until the onions turn transparent.
- Dice the sausage into small pieces and add it to the pot.
- Saute the sausage until browned.
- Dump out any grease before stirring in the diced tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Let the tomatoes caramelize slightly.
- While the tomatoes are cooking, rinse off the dry lentils and let them drain in a colander in the sink.
- Pour in the chicken stock and allow the soup to boil.
- Stir in the brown lentils and reduce the heat. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for about an hour. Stir the soup from time to time and add water as needed.
- Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
You can garnish the soup with chopped fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, parsley, or thyme.
Carrabba’s Lentil Soup Recipe Variations
Who doesn’t like to come home to a nice bowl of warm soup? With a few changes, you can easily convert Sausage Selection
- Use thick fennel-flavored Italian sausage for authentic taste
- Spicy Italian sausage adds pleasant heat
- Turkey Italian sausage creates a lighter version
- Vegetarian sausage alternatives work well
Broth Options
- Homemade chicken stock adds richness
- Better Than Bouillon provides convenience
- Vegetable broth works for a vegetarian version
- Add extra broth for the desired consistency
Texture Variations
- Leave as is for rustic texture
- Use immersion blender for creamier texture
- Blend half for semi-creamy result
How to Serve Sausage and Lentil Soup
Serve the soup in a small cup for the starter or a big bowl for the main course.
What Goes Well With This Dish?
This soup goes perfectly with a slice of good bread or breadsticks, a little grated parmesan cheese, and some lightly sauteed spinach or Swiss chard as a garnish.
How to Store Carrabba’s Sausage Lentil Soup
Cool the soup thoroughly before storing it in the refrigerator or freezer. Cool the soup as quickly as possible by removing it from the pot and putting it in a metal mixing bowl. Float the mixing bowl in a larger bowl half full of ice water. Stir constantly.
Once cool, transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can I Freeze Lentil Soup With Sausage?
Yes. You can freeze in a freezer-safe container or bag for 3 to 4 months.
How Can I Reheat Lentil Soup?
It is best to reheat the soup on the stovetop, but you can also reheat it in the microwave.
To reheat on the stove:
- Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge or use the quick defrost option in the microwave.
- Pour the thawed soup into a pan and stir in some water or chicken stock if the soup is thick.
- Slowly warm the soup on medium-low heat.
To reheat in the microwave:
- Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge or use the quick defrost option in the microwave.
- Pour the thawed soup into a microwave-safe bowl and stir in water or chicken stock if necessary.
- Cover and microwave for a minute. Give the soup a stir and heat for another 30 seconds. Check the temperature of the soup and continue heating in 30-second increments until hot.
Love restaurant-style soups? Try these recipes!
- 4B’s Tomato Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup Panera Bread Recipe
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Creamy Onion Soup
- Minestrone Soup Olive Garden
- Olive Garden Tuscan Soup
- Panera Squash Soup
- Southwest Chicken Soup Recipe
- Pasta e Fagioli Soup Olive Garden
More Italian Restaurant Copycat Recipes
And there’s more! Look at my easy soup recipes and the best homemade Italian food.
Carrabba’s Sausage and Lentil Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced white onion
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 48 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 14.5 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- 1 cup brown lentils
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the onions, carrots, garlic, and celery with the salt in either butter or olive oil until the onions are translucent.
- Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking it apart as it cooks. Drain any excess oil from the pot.
- Add the chicken broth, Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes, and brown lentils.
- Cover with a lid and simmer for about 1 hour. You may want to add some additional water if too much evaporates during the cooking process.
As a former Carrabba’s manager, I can tell you a secret. Although your version is quite delicious, the choice of brown lentils changes the soup into something very different. Carrabba’s doesn’t have the gravy-ish broth brown lentils create.
We use Beluga Black Lentils (Amazon). They’re tiny and hold their shape better. Even though people insist on cooking them to death, they really only need about 15 minutes. They’ll hold their “tooth” better in soups.
When I do my soup, we cook the lentils separately because they can turn the soup (wait for it) black. Cooking them separately also lets me do it in bulk and freeze the lentils in 2oz plastic restaurant ramekins with tops to add to things later. Like salads, spaghetti, other soups, etc. I also freeze this soup separately so my lentils don’t turn to mush when reheating. I hate mush. It’s all about texture for me.
In a pinch, I have used French green lentils. Very different from generic ‘green lentils.” French green are also tiny, with a slightly peppery flavor. Again, only 15-20 minutes necessary, unless you prefer mush.
Good job on the seasonings! Thanks for all your hard work producing these recipes.
I love this soup. I used McCormick Italian Red Wine Seasoning. It was wonderful.
I wanted to use your suggestion and use McCormick Italian Red Wine Seasoning but couldn’t find it anywhere. McCormicks web site say they no sell it. Where did you purchase yours.
The first few times I made it, I used a pound of Italian Sausage. It seemed like too much so I cut it down to 1/2 a pound. This soup is very yummy!
I am glad you liked it. One of the best things about cooking at home is modifying your recipes!
My store didn’t have low sodium broth so I bought regular broth. I forgot to put the salt in, which is probably a good thing, because it probably would have been too salty with it. It turned out great. I would definitely make it again. Yummy!!
Excellent…I added a can of drained black beans and 2 tsp. of smoked paprika from a hearty black bean and lentil soup I’ve made in the past.
I’m Italian and have made this soup several times I absolutely love this recipe and will only use it from now on. Very easy to make and relatively inexpensive. I added fresh thyme and red pepper flakes but it’s not necessary. Had them on hand so why not. You won’t be disappointed.
There are lots of food logger like this but the best food blog “Carrabba’s Sausage Lentil Soup” is yours. I will try to make it like you. Much thanks for giving me a smart blog.
Thanks and a tip of the hat to you Stephanie for this stellar recreation. It was a truly delicious addition to our family table this Christmas.
The only thing I’ll do differently when preparing it the next time will be to make a triple batch!
I want to make your Carravva Sausage Lentil Soup. I do the cooking for y 95 young Mom, and she is restricted in her salt and fat. 1. I would like to swap out 95% Lean Sirloin, 2. I would like to also use Red Lentils, as that is what I have on hand. Have you tried the soup with any of these swap outs?
Thank you.
I haven’t tried those swap outs, but the red lentils should be no problem, neither should the sirloin, it may not taste like the original though.
I used to order this at Carrabba’s all the time! I wanted some yesterday and decided to look for a Copycat recipe and I made this one! Oh goodness, it is SO good – perfect, maybe even better than Carrabba’s ha! I added a little Worchestershire and a little dry red wine, 2 bay leaves, and I wanted more lentils so I added 3/4 cup more than the recipe called for… I added them late b/c I was not sure if the original amount would swell up enough… so I let it sit overnight with burner off and it is perfect today! I am in the middle of moving so my Italian seasoning is packed – I used dried basil, dried oregano and some red pepper flakes. I would give this recipe more star if possible ha! Thanks for this!
Aww, I am glad this recipe worked for you.
I have a cooking challenge as my friend has pancreatitis and cannot have fat. This soup was one of his favorites —–I can make it exactly like the recipe but I need to add something besides the sausage and still great a great favor? Any ideas?
To make up for the sausage not being there, I would consider some liquid smoke, maybe you could use some soy texture protein as well.
Hi, sorry for your friend. You could replace with tofu. Tofu has NO flavor it’s self so it absorbs the flavor of the sauce. Or, you could replace with that veggie meat. The only problem I have with the plant based is I absolutely can not taste the difference. So, why pay more if i can’t tell; the difference anyway. But, it may be better for him; and in the future when the price comes down I will will probably switch to the plant based as it will be actually better for my particular health, also.
I realize this is an older post, but someone might find this helpful. GimmeLean sells ground sausage substitute. When prepared as per the directions, it’s great. The thing is, it has the seasonings of actual meat sausages, so it adds the flavor no matter what. I don’t know if they make a spicy version, but that can be remedied with a little red pepper.
I ended up with too much liquid at the end and had to boil some of it off. Also needed far more spices than called for—maybe the sausage I bought wasn’t flavorful enough. I used more Italian spices plus some sage. I like the idea of bay leaf others have used. Overall good, but needed tweaking this time..
I am sorry I missed the mark for you. You could have cooked the soup for longer and allowed some of the liquid to evaporate from the soup.
Thank you!!!! This is absolutely delicious can’t wait to make it myself!!
Does anyone know how long to cook in the crock pot? Thank you,
I would do 4 to 6 hours on low in a crockpot after you brown the sausage.
Have you used the Crockpot yet? I am really interested. I believe the flavor would be delicious.
If you did that, I would cook the sausage first, so you can drain the grease.
I add bay leaf, a splash of red wine and some red pepper to this recipe as well
I love bay in a soup. The red wine sounds good too (but hard to part with it 🙂 )
I didn’t use them, but added a fat shot of L&P Worcestershire.
Even still color was off from the restaurant version, very light.
I’ve seen references to bacon (regular and Italian) including by yourself Stephanie, but there’s no mention of it in the recipe ingredients. I think it sounds like it would be a nice addition to the soup but where should it be used. When the sausage is cooked?
PS- my husband loves the Carrabba version so I’m looking forward to trying this.
Can I use beef smoked sausage as I do not have Italian