This was yummy - I followed some suggestions and made my own additions: used small french lentils instead of regular and the 4 cups chicken broth instead of 2 cups water and bouillon cubes. I increased cabbage to 1 cup, and sliced very thinly instead of shredding finely. Used 1/2 smoked turkey sausage coil, 1/2 turnip diced, 4 baby carrots sliced, Herbes de Provence instead of thyme, red Mexican chili pepper because I had no cayenne, added some Hungarian paprika, and 1 Bay leaf. Everyone liked it. Meant to add some chopped Swiss chard but forgot. Will add it to the leftovers tomorrow - that should make it even tastier!

Love lentil soup, but this kicks it up a notch! I doubled+ the lentils and just used the whole 16oz bag, a whole but small head of cabbage, 2 cans of tomatoes and the turkey smoked sausage I had on hand. Doubled all of the other ingredients. A wonderful stew, thick and just a perfect heat from the cayenne that you usually don't have in lentil soup. LOVE IT!

This recipe was absolutely delicious! I shredded the cabbage in my cuisinart and substituted vegetarian sausage for turkey sausage. I also used chicken bouillon and might use chicken broth next time. I simmered it for double the time and the lentils held up wonderfully and absorbed the flavor well. We will make it again. Doubling the recipe tastes just as good!

Excellent with a few variations. Used 3 cubes of vegetable bouillon, and polish sausage and extra cabbage. My husband and I loved it and enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day. Did not add any more salt.

It was only ok. Think it would be better with out the vegetarian smoked sausages.

Wonderful flavor (with some of the changes suggested). I used 8 oz. of sliced keilbasa and 6 c. of chicken broth along with 2 c. of shredded cabbage. It was fantastic!!! I gave it 4 stars because of the changes made.

Made this last night and everyone liked it. I used mild Italian sausage from a local Italian market instead of the vegetarian sausage. I did not add salt as the veg. bouillon & the canned tomatoes are salty enough. When the soup was done, I stirred in the cabbage and let it cook for a few minutes; as a result, the cabbage retained some of its crispness and was a nice texture element. The cayenne really looses its zing in all that water, so don't worry about it being hot. Served with Jiffy brand cornbread muffins, and the sweetness of the cornbread is a great compliment to the savory flavors of the soup. This is a great basic recipe to customize.

I sautéed the onion on high, stirring until soft, and then let it soften on low until translucent. I then added a chopped green pepper, one chopped carrot, and an entire 1-lb bag of lentils with the garlic and a jar of sauerkraut instead of cabbage. Note that I ran the sauerkraut under cold water first to get rid of the extra saltiness. I then added 6 cups of water (since I used 2x the lentils) with the bouillon cubes, brought it all to a boil, then reduced it to a simmer for one hour. Oh, and I added one ham hock instead of the sausage and shredded the meat off of the bone once it was done.

A thick hearty meal of a soup

I made this tonight. I didn't have any cabbage on hand so I used some celery instead. I also used sun-dried tomato instead of diced tomato. I omitted the cayenne as I'm cooking for my family with different tastes. My 6 year old said "This is actually good", after examining it, prodding it with her fork and finally taking a bite.

Fantastic!! I used 1 lb. of country style sausage, doubled the garlic and cabbage and cut the cayenne pepper in half. I also used two 14.5 oz. cans of vegatable broth and about 2 cups of water. (I wanted it to be more of a soup than a stew.) It was a huge hit with everyone ... I will definitely make again!

Really easy to make. Tastes great. Will most likely make this again.

Pretty good soup! I used turkey smoked sausage and low sodium chicken broth. If I make it again, here is what I would do differently...twice as much cabbage, 2 cans of tomatoes, no cayenne (even 1/4 tsp was too spicy for the kids).

Used crock pot and it turned out great. Used regular smoked sausage instead of vegetarian. The whole family liked it, even my husband who doesn't like beans or lentils. :)

My mother & I love this soup! I used Hillshire Farms Smoked Turkey Sausage, canned chicken broth, & 1/2 the amount of cayenne pepper. I'll have to make a double bath next time!

This is an excellent recipe. It lends itself to many variations (vegetarian/meat sausage and stock/boullion). You can make it as a thick stew or a thinner soup, spicy or not, and can experiment with other ingredients and proportions. I've used kielbasa, smoked sausage, and linguica (precooked). I've used turkey, chicken, and beef better-than-boullion. I use more vegetables than the recipe calls for, and less tomato (I don't buy 16 oz. cans), I use Pico de Gallo seasoning in it instead of cayenne, and I don't use salt and pepper, preferring to allow the individul to season their own serving. Basically, as long as you add enough liquid to cook the lentils, it's hard to go wrong. We really love this soup.