Lentil Soup With Smoked Sausage and Apples

By Sarah DiGregorio

Published November 22, 2020

  • David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(2,591)
Comments
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Flavored with apple, sausage and mustard, this slightly creamy lentil soup strikes a nice balance between delicate and hearty. Small green lentils, or French lentils or lentils du Puy, are khaki-colored legumes that have a peppery flavor and keep their shape when cooked instead, which gives this soup an appealing texture. You can also use black lentils or easier-to-find brown lentils, but keep in mind that brown lentils will fall apart as they cook, creating a thicker stew. This soup takes only a few minutes to throw together, and most of the time is spent in hands-off simmering time, putting it within reach for a weeknight. It’s never necessary to soak lentils, as they cook relatively quickly. (You can find a slow cooker version of this recipe here.)

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • 2 tart-firm apples, such as Honeycrisp, peeled and diced

  • 3 celery stalks, chopped into ½-inch pieces

  • 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 1 fresh sage sprig, leaves chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried sage

  • 1 fresh thyme sprig, leaves chopped, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

  • 1 ½ cups/12 ounces dry hard cider

  • ¾ pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa or Andouille, sliced into ½-inch-thick coins

  • 1 ½ cups/10 ounces dried small green lentils (also called French lentils or lentils du Puy)

  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 2 teaspoons cider vinegar

  • ¼ cup sour cream

  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

  • 4 to 6 scallions, thinly sliced for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

48 grams carbs; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 478 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 691 milligrams sodium; 20 grams protein; 10 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the half the chopped apples, and cook, stirring until softened, adjusting the heat as necessary to avoid scorching, about 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the celery, garlic, sage and thyme, and stir to combine. Pour in the cider and let it come to a bubble. Add the sausage, lentils, nutmeg and 4 cups water to the pot. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and a generous amount of pepper. Let the soup come to a boil, then decrease the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cover the pot and cook until the lentils are tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Just before you are ready to eat, add the vinegar. Stir together the sour cream and mustard, then stir the mixture into the soup. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve in bowls topped with the scallions and remaining chopped apples.

Tip

  • Any sparkling or still dry hard cider works well in this recipe. In a pinch, you can substitute dry white wine and mix in a few spoonfuls of apple juice, if you have it. For a nonalcoholic option, use chicken or vegetable stock, but increase the vinegar a bit at the end for tartness.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,591 user ratings
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Comments

Chris Orense

Followed the recipe exactly, and wouldn’t change a thing. A new winter favorite! Perfect for a weeknight (or weekend) after a long day of working or skiing! Just make it already! ⛷ 🎿 ❄️

chris

imo wine is always better than cider in a fall/winter stew, though I like the mustard/sour cream additions. also would prefer roasted parsnip to apples.

Lisa Conn

We don't eat meat, so to make it more complex I added cubed carrots with the onions and added cooked wild rice and cooked chickpeas at the end. I stirred in some butter before serving. Everyone loved it!

John Mulrooney

What do I do with the remaining chopped apple? Step 1 calls for half of the apple to be added but doesn't say what do do with the rest.

Ngrimmick

This was delicious! Halfway through I realized I did not have hard cider so I subbed chicken stock & a quarter cup of apple brandy. Also subbed full fate greek yogurt for sour cream. Still came out lovely.

S. Mullen

Used French Lentils (as that’s what I had) and as I was doubling, I used mild pork sausage and smoked chorizo. Did it on the stove top vs pressure cooker. Excellent.

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