Carabas Sausage Lentil Soup Recipe

This hearty soup is a copycat recipe of Carrabba's spicy sausage and lentil soup. Loaded with vegetables, inexpensive lentils, and Italian sausage. It's sure to be a new family favorite!

two bowls of Sausage Lentil Soup next to pot of remaining soup with title text on photo.

I first shared this copycat recipe for Sausage Lentil Soup a decade ago. At the time it was a new favorite soup. Every time we would go out to for a date night at Carrabba's Italian Grill, (our favorite Italian restaurant) we had to order it. Since we were newlyweds and on a tight budget–going out to eat was definitely a luxury that we saved for 1-2 times a month. That's when I started making sausage lentil soup at home.

Ingredients
Directions
How to Freeze Soup
Carrabba's Copycat Recipes

Ingredients on counter: celery, carrots, onion, garlic, and zucchini.

Carrabba's Sausage and Lentil Soup Ingredients

Here are all the ingredients you will need to make this meaty lentil soup.

Olive Oil
Italian Sausage (mild or hot)
Garlic
White Onion
Carrot
Celery
Zucchini
Canned Diced Tomatoes
Lentils
Parsley
Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Salt
Black Pepper
Red Pepper Flakes
Low-sodium chicken stock
Parmesan Cheese

two white bowls filled with Sausage Lentil Soup next to fresh tomatoes, parmesan and grater on tablecloth.

Directions

Here is the step-by-step process on how to make Carrabba's Copy-Cat recipe for sausage lentil soup.

Broken up Italian Sausage, diced onion, minced garlic in a Le Creuset cast iron pot with wooden spoon.

In a large 5-quart (or larger) sauce pot, pour the olive oil in the pot. Then place the ground Italian sausage. Cook on medium-heat breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Mix, and continue to break up for five minutes.

Ingredients (lentils, tomatoes, zucchinis, herbs, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and ground pork) in large dutch oven.

Next, add in the garlic and diced onion. Mix into the meat mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. While the meat mixture is cooking, dice the celery, peel and dice the carrots, and dice the zucchini. Place the vegetables in the soup pot. Mix well then add in the diced tomatoes, lentils, and spices. Mix well then pour in the chicken stock (mixing one last time).

Sausage Lentil Soup Simmering in a green dutch oven on Stovetop with zucchini floating to top.

Bring the soup to a boil (about 5-10 minutes), then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Make sure you mix every 10-15 minutes to prevent lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once the soup is cooked, ladle the soup into bowl, and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!

close up top view of Sausage Lentil Soup in white bowl topped with parmesan and sprig of basil.

How to freeze soup in individual portions

I frequently get asked how to store soup in the freezer. I typically store in 2-4 serving increments. However, sometimes I will store in individual portions. To do this you have a few different methods.

First you should know that you always need to bring your food to room temperature before placing in the freezer. If you place hot food in the freezer not only can bacteria grow, but you can actually start to thaw the frozen food around it. Always make sure your soup is room temperature before storing (this goes for the refrigerator, too).

Label a quart size freezer bag and place 1-2 cups of the soup in the freezer bag. Store flat so that it freezes flat and is easy to store!
Glass freezer container. I like to use at least a 3-4 cup container. I still only put in a 1-2 cup portion. But this gives adequate room for thawing and expanding.

A few other tips I have to share on the subject of freezing soup:

Label the soup! This is so very important. Any and all items that enter the freezer should have the following information on the package: date and what the item is. Sometimes, if I'm batch cooking a casserole I will even write how to re-heat on the package in case a grandparent or babysitter is going to reheat!
Leave out the starch when possible. For this sausage lentil soup recipe you don't have anything to worry about. But for chicken soup, I always advise to cook the pasta separate. Do not freeze the pasta in the soup. It will absorb all the broth and leave you with nothing to enjoy (and possible soggy noodles).
Don't garnish before freezing. You can garnish with fresh herbs if you really want too, but I would refrain from any sort of cheese or dairy. Write on the container so you know how to garnish the soup once it's reheated.
Leave out the dairy. Dairy can sometimes separate, have a weird texture or even be grainy. If you can leave it out and add it in while you reheat the soup!

top view of large green cast iron pot full of Sausage Lentil Soup.

Other Carrabba's Copycat Recipes

Here are a few other Carrabba's Copycat Recipes that I've made over the years. Nothing better then "home" takeout without spending the restaurant price tag!

Carrabba's Minestrone Soup
Pasta Rambo
Slow Cooker Sicilian Chicken Soup
Instant Pot Sausage & Rigatoni with Goat Cheese
Penne with Fenel Sausage Pomodoro
Cavatapi Amatriciana

If you love Carrabba's or maybe just love soup. I hope you'll give this hearty lentil soup with sausage recipe.

Two bowls of Sausage Lentil Soup with vine-ripe tomatoes in the background.

▢
Stove Top

▢ 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
▢ 1 lb. Ground Mild Italian Sausage
▢ 3 Garlic cloves
▢ 1 White Onion diced
▢ 1 stalk Celery diced
▢ 3 Carrots peeled & diced
▢ 1 Zucchini diced
▢ 1 16 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes
▢ 2 cups Dried Brown Lentils
▢ 1 teaspoon Salt
▢ 1 teaspoon Dried Parsley
▢ 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
▢ 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
▢ 1 teaspoon Dried Basil
▢ 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
▢ ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes (optional)
▢ 2 32 oz. Boxes of Low-Sodium Chicken Stock

In a large 5-quart (or larger) sauce pot, pour the olive oil in the pot. Then place the ground Italian sausage. Cook on medium-heat breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Mix, and continue to break up for 5 minutes.
Next, add in the garlic and diced onion. Mix into the meat mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. While the meat mixture is cooking, dice the celery, peel and dice the carrots, and dice the zucchini. Place the vegetables in the soup pot. Mix well then add in the diced tomatoes, lentils, and spices. Mix well then pour in the chicken stock (mixing one last time).
Bring the soup to a boil (about 5-10 minutes), then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Make sure you mix every 10-15 minutes to prevent lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once the soup is cooked, ladle the soup into bowl, and sprinkle with Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!

Note: If you prefer a thicker consistency, place one cup of the soup into a blender and puree. Then add the puree back to the soup pot.

Originally published February 18, 2010. Updated with new text and instructions on March 2, 2020.

3 collage photo with title text of Copycat Carrabba's Sausage Lentil Soup Recipe

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 10 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

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