This delicious Crockpot Lentil Soup with Sausage and Spinach can also be made in a pan on the stove! This was surprisingly low in carbs for a soup with lentils and brown rice, but replace those ingredients with frozen cauliflower rice if you want a lower-carb option!
PIN Crockpot Lentil Soup with Sausage and Spinach to try it later!
I first made this Crockpot Lentil Soup with Sausage and Spinach on a day when my brother Rand happened to be in Utah visiting for my dad’s 85th birthday party. Rand always likes to try out my leftover cooking experiments when he’s visiting, and he loved this soup so much that when he went back home he asked if he could have the recipe before it was posted on the blog.
I’m always in debt to Rand for the beautiful graphics he creates for the blog, so of course I was only too happy to send off the recipe by e-mail. Rand made the soup for friends who also want the recipe now, so I decided I better hurry and get it posted!
Get new recipes via email:
If you’re a fan of making soup in the crockpot, this is a great recipe to cook on the weekend when you’re busy doing other things. But if you don’t have a crockpot, check the end of the recipe for instructions of how to make this on the stove.
What ingredients do you need?
How can you make this a lower-carb soup?
There’s not a lot of lentils or brown rice in this soup, so check the nutritional information and see what you think. But if you want a soup that’s even lower in carbs, just use a bit more sausage and switch out the lentils and brown rice for about 1 cup frozen cauliflower rice. I’d add the cauliflower rice towards the end of the cooking time.
How to Make Crockpot Lentil Soup with Sausage and Spinach:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Cook the diced onion, carrot, and celery in a little olive oil, then saute the veggies with the dried spices and garlic before you add it to the crockpot. I think this extra step adds a lot of flavor to crockpot soups.
- Cut up 3 pre-cooked sausages into bite sized pieces and add to crockpot.
- (I used Aidell’s Artichoke and Garlic Chicken Sausage for my soup, but any type of pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage will work. Use more sausage if you prefer, which will make the soup lower in carbs!)
- Then add canned tomatoes with juice, chicken stock, brown lentils, red lentils, and salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
- Cook that on high for about 3 hours, or until the brown lentils are soft and the red lentils are starting to dissolve.
- Then add 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice (or cauliflower rice) and 4 cups chopped fresh spinach. (I used Uncle Ben’s Brown Rice.)
- Cook that for about an hour longer.
- Then stir in 2 T balsamic vinegar, cook for about 15 minutes more and serve hot. This is good with parmesan cheese sprinkled over if desired.
More Tasty Soups with Lentils:
Sausage and Lentil Soup
Vegan Lentil Soup with Spinach
Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion, diced very small
- 1 carrot, diced very small
- 2 large stalks celery, diced very small
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 T minced garlic (from a jar, use less if fresh garlic)
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. Spike seasoning
- 3 links pre-cooked chicken or turkey sausage, diced in 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
- one 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes
- 6 cups chicken broth (see notes)
- 1/4 cup brown lentils
- 1/4 cup red lentils
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup long-grain brown rice
- 4 cups chopped fresh spinach
- 2 T balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Dice onion, carrot and celery.
- Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan, add veggies and saute until starting to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add garlic, thyme, and Spike seasoning and saute about 2 minutes more, then add veggies to crockpot.
- Add diced chicken sausage, canned tomatoes, chicken stock, brown lentils, red lentils, and salt and pepper to crockpot and cook on high about 3 hours (or until brown lentils are soft and red lentils are starting to dissolve.)
- Add brown rice (I like Uncle Ben’s brown rice) and chopped spinach and cook about 1 hour more.
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and cook 15 minutes.
- Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Stove-Top Recipe Instructions:
- Use at least 1 cup more stock or chicken broth for stove-top cooking.
- Heat oil in a heavy soup pot, then saute vegetables, garlic, and seasonings as above.
- Add diced chicken sausage, canned tomatoes, chicken stock, brown lentils, red lentils, and salt and pepper and simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, or until lentils are soft.
- Add brown rice and chopped spinach and simmer about 30 minutes more, or until rice is soft. (Check to see if you need to add a little more liquid when you add the rice and spinach.)
- Stir in balsamic vinegar and simmer about 5 minutes more.
- Serve hot, with Parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 203Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 1399mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 3gSugar: 3gProtein: 17g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Did you make this recipe?
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Using low-fat chicken or turkey sausage and low-glycemic ingredients like lentils and brown rice makes this Crockpot Lentil Soup with Sausage and Spinach a great choice for phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. Lentils and brown rice are high in carbs for traditional low-carb diet plans, but there isn’t too much of either of those ingredients so you might be surprised if you check the nutritional information. (If you want a version that’s even lower in carbs, use more sausage and replace lentils and rice with about one cup of cauliflower rice.)
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more tasty soups like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there. Click here for more Slow Cooker / Pressure Cooker Recipes on my other site!
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2010. It was last updated in 2021 with more information and suggestions for making a lower-carb version.
Share This:
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.
The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.
But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.
Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.
And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.
What makes the best keto chili?
Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.
In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.
Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.
Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.
But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.
Can you make keto chili ahead of time?
I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.
It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.
So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.
The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!
Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.
Tips for making Short Rib Chili
Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.
Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.
Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.
Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.
Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.
Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.
Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.
Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?
Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.
Keto Short Rib Chili
Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.
Print
Pin
Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 428kcal
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone in short ribs
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup bacon fat, lard, or other high-heat oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 large green pepper chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper minced (leave the seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 15 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
- ⅓ cup beef bone broth
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300F and season the short ribs all over with salt and pepper.
In a large dutch oven over medium heat, melt the bacon fat or lard. Once hot, add half the short ribs and brown on all sides. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining short ribs. Transfer to the plate.
Add the onion and pepper to the pot, sprinkle with salt, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne, and cook another minute, until fragrant.
Stir in the roasted tomatoes and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Add the short ribs back into the pot, cover and transfer to the oven.
Cook 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Remove the ribs, shred the meat and return the meat to the pot. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve with your favorite chili toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Keto Short Rib Chili
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = about 1 cup)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 319
% Daily Value*
Fat 35.4g54%
Carbohydrates 4g1%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 22.6g45%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Join the Conversation (0)
Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
Hi, I'm Alex!
I love sharing easy, healthy, and family-friendly recipes that anyone can make at home.
Be the first to comment on this recipe!