Full GAPS Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard and Sausage

This hearty soup brings tender lentils, Swiss chard, sausage, tomatoes, and vegetables together in homemade chicken Meat Stock. Start the lentils the day before so they have a full 12-hour soak. Cook the chard separately while the onion, carrot, and celery soften, then add it at the end so the greens stay distinct in the finished soup.

Prep time: 10 minutes after the lentils are soaked
Cook time: Up to 1 hour 48 minutes
Total time after soaking: Up to 1 hour 58 minutes
Advance preparation: 12-hour lentil soak
Covered vegetable cook: 30 minutes
Lentil browning: About 8 minutes
Bring to a boil: About 8 to 10 minutes
Low lentil cook: 45 to 60 minutes, until tender
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Properly Prepared Lentils

• 2 cups dry lentils
• Simmered filtered water to cover the lentils by at least 2 inches, divided for one water change
• 2 tablespoons neutralizer for each fresh batch of soaking water: homemade whey from properly fermented GAPS yogurt or kefir, fresh lemon juice, or additive-free raw apple-cider vinegar

Soup

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, used after its applicable dairy introduction
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 bunches Swiss chard
• 2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt or another natural mineral salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup pure tomato paste without sugar or non-GAPS additives
• All of the soaked and drained lentils, about 4 to 5 cups after soaking
• 1 jar crushed tomatoes, 24 ounces, without sugar or non-GAPS additives
• 6 cups homemade chicken Meat Stock
• 2 pounds fresh additive-free uncured sausage links, cut into 1/4-inch-thick coins
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

The properly prepared lentils and the homemade Meat Stock form the body of this soup, the sausage and vegetables add substance, and the separately boiled Swiss chard stays distinct instead of cooking down into the broth.

Soak the Lentils for 12 Hours

1. Bring enough filtered water to a simmer to cover the lentils by at least 2 inches.
2. Put the 2 cups dry lentils in a large heat-safe bowl. Pour the simmered water over them.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of one selected neutralizer: homemade whey, fresh lemon juice, or additive-free raw apple-cider vinegar.
4. Soak for 12 hours.

   

5. Once during the 12-hour soak, drain and rinse the lentils. Cover them again by at least 2 inches with freshly simmered filtered water and add a fresh 2 tablespoons of the same neutralizer.
6. At the end of the soak, drain and rinse the lentils well. Use the full soaked amount in the soup, about 4 to 5 cups.

Use 2 tablespoons of the chosen acidifier each time you add fresh soaking water. The liquid is drained away before the lentils enter the soup.

Make the Soup

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery.
3. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook the vegetables for 30 minutes.
4. While the vegetables cook, bring a separate pot of water to a boil.
5. Add the Swiss chard and boil for 8 minutes. Drain it and set it aside.
6. Uncover the main pot. Stir in the 2 teaspoons mineral salt and tomato paste, then raise the heat to medium.
7. Add all of the soaked, drained lentils.
8. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until some lentils begin to turn golden brown at the edges.
9. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken Meat Stock, and 1/4-inch sausage coins.
10. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil, about 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Lower the heat to the lowest setting that maintains a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking or burning, until the lentils are tender throughout.

    

12. Stir in the cooked, drained Swiss chard.
13. Add black pepper and adjust the mineral salt to taste. The sausage must be cooked through before serving. Check the center of a thick coin with a food thermometer: 160°F for pork or beef sausage, or 165°F for poultry sausage.

Physical Cues for the Lentils and Soup

Keep the lentils covered by at least 2 inches during both halves of the soak. After the final rinse, use the full expanded amount rather than measuring out only two cups again.

During the eight-minute pan step, stir frequently and watch the edges of some lentils begin to turn golden. Add the tomatoes, Meat Stock, and sausage only after that light browning.

After the soup boils, reduce it to a gentle low simmer for 45 to 60 minutes. A finished lentil should be tender through the center, without a firm or chalky core. Stir during this period so the lentils do not stick or burn on the bottom.

A gentle simmer here looks like occasional small bubbles breaking the surface here and there, with the liquid mostly still rather than rolling or churning.

The Swiss chard cooks separately for eight minutes and is drained before it joins the soup. Add it only after the lentils reach their tender endpoint.

Why This Fits Full GAPS

Lentils are a Full GAPS legume after they have been properly prepared and the digestive symptoms that rule them out have cleared. Soak these 2 cups of dry lentils for 12 hours in simmered water with 2 tablespoons whey, lemon juice, or apple-cider vinegar. Change the water and add a fresh 2 tablespoons of the same acidifier once during the soak; rinse well before cooking. The low simmer finishes when the lentils are tender.

The soup uses homemade chicken Meat Stock rather than commercial stock or long-cooked bare-bone broth. The fresh sausage is uncured and free of sugar, starch, fillers, and other non-GAPS additives. The tomato paste and crushed tomatoes are also plain products without added sugar or non-GAPS ingredients.

The four celery stalks cook with the onion and carrots for 30 minutes. This is a Full GAPS soup; it is not an early Introduction Diet soup.

Keep the Measured Sausage Form

Use two pounds of fresh sausage links cut into 1/4-inch coins. Links hold their shape in the simmering soup; bulk sausage or patties would make a different dish.

Add the sausage coins with the tomatoes and Meat Stock, then keep them in the soup through the boil and the low simmer. Check a thick coin with a food thermometer before serving: 160°F for pork or beef sausage, or 165°F for poultry sausage.

Storage

Transfer leftovers to shallow covered containers and refrigerate promptly at 40°F or below. Use within 3 to 4 days.

FAQ

Why Does the Soak Use 2 Tablespoons of Neutralizer?

The soaking method uses 1 tablespoon acidifier per cup of dry lentils. This soup starts with 2 cups, so each fresh batch of soaking water receives 2 tablespoons.

Do I Add the Soaking Liquid to the Soup?

No. Drain and rinse the lentils, replace the water and neutralizer once during the soak, then drain and rinse again before cooking.

Can I Use Canned Lentils?

Use dry lentils here. Canned lentils have already been cooked and will not follow the 12-hour soak or the soup’s cooking sequence.

Is the Chicken Liquid Meat Stock or Bone Broth?

Use the linked homemade chicken Meat Stock made from raw meaty chicken parts. It is the measured six-cup liquid for this soup.

When Does the Swiss Chard Go Into the Soup?

Boil it separately for eight minutes, drain it, and stir it into the soup only after the lentils are tender.

Related Recipes

Prepare the homemade Chicken Meat Stock used in this soup.

Recommended Equipment

• A large pot for the soup
• A separate pot for boiling the Swiss chard
• A large heat-safe bowl for soaking the lentils
• A food thermometer

Next Steps

The Soups & Stews Cookbook is coming soon, with more measured Full GAPS soups and stews like this one.

Ebonie Garnica

Full GAPS Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard and Sausage

Make Full GAPS lentil soup with Swiss chard, fresh sausage, properly prepared lentils, tomatoes, and chicken Meat Stock using the accepted soak and simmer method.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 48 minutes mins

Advance lentil soak 12 hours hrs

Total Time 13 hours hrs 58 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Soup

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

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Properly prepared lentils

• 2 cups dry lentils
• Simmered filtered water to cover the lentils by at least 2 inches, divided for one water change
• 2 tablespoons neutralizer for each fresh batch of soaking water: homemade whey from properly fermented GAPS yogurt or kefir, fresh lemon juice, or additive-free raw apple-cider vinegar

Soup

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, used after its applicable dairy introduction
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 bunches Swiss chard
• 2 teaspoons Celtic sea salt or another natural mineral salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 cup pure tomato paste without sugar or non-GAPS additives
• All of the soaked and drained lentils from the preparation above; the original batch expands to about 4 to 5 cups after soaking
• 1 jar crushed tomatoes 24 ounces per jar, without sugar or non-GAPS additives
• 6 cups homemade chicken Meat Stock
• 2 pounds fresh additive-free uncured sausage links, cut into 1/4-inch-thick coins
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Equipment

• Large heat-safe bowl
• Large soup pot
• Separate pot for boiling Swiss chard
• Colander
• Spoon
• Food thermometer

Method

 

Soak the lentils for 12 hours

1. Bring enough filtered water to a simmer to cover the lentils by at least 2 inches.
2. Put the measured dry lentils listed above in a large heat-safe bowl. Pour the simmered water over them.
3. Add the measured amount of one selected neutralizer listed above: homemade whey, fresh lemon juice, or additive-free raw apple-cider vinegar.
4. Soak for 12 hours.
   
5. Once during the 12-hour soak, drain and rinse the lentils. Cover them again by at least 2 inches with freshly simmered filtered water and add a fresh measured amount of the same neutralizer for this new batch of water.
6. At the end of the soak, drain and rinse the lentils well. Use the full soaked amount in the soup. For the original two-cup dry-lentil batch, that is about 4 to 5 cups after soaking.

Make the soup

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery.
3. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook the vegetables for 30 minutes.
4. While the vegetables cook, bring a separate pot of water to a boil.
5. Add the Swiss chard and boil for 8 minutes. Drain it and set it aside.
6. Uncover the main pot. Stir in the measured mineral salt listed above and the tomato paste, then raise the heat to medium.
7. Add all of the soaked, drained lentils.
8. Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until some lentils begin to turn golden brown at the edges.
9. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken Meat Stock, and 1/4-inch sausage coins.
10. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil, about 8 to 10 minutes.
11. Lower the heat to the lowest setting that maintains a gentle simmer. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking or burning, until the lentils are tender throughout.
    
12. Stir in the cooked, drained Swiss chard.
13. Add black pepper and adjust the mineral salt to taste. The sausage must be cooked through before serving. Check the center of a thick coin with a food thermometer: 160°F for pork or beef sausage, or 165°F for poultry sausage.

Notes

This recipe serves eight to ten. Begin with the 12-hour lentil soak and one water change; use fresh neutralizer with each fresh batch of water. Prep after soaking: 10 minutes. Cook time: up to 1 hour 48 minutes. Total after soaking: up to 1 hour 58 minutes. The total time shown includes the 12-hour soak and the longer preparation and cooking times above. Full GAPS after properly prepared lentils are tolerated. Use fresh additive-free uncured sausage links, not bulk sausage or patties. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers at 40°F or below; use within 3 to 4 days.

For the original batch, 2 cups dry lentils become about 4 to 5 cups after soaking. Use the full soaked amount.

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