Sausage Lentil Stew Recipe

blue bowl filled with lentil stew from above.

Lentils cook much more quickly than dry beans, so this has become kind of a staple for us on nights when I need to cobble something together from the pantry. If you're vegetarian, simply skip the sausage and use vegetable stock.

4.59 from 12 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1 50

Total Time: 2

Servings: cups

Author: Kris Bordessa

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage
2 medium onions chopped
4 cloves garlic
3 cups lentils
12 cups beef chicken, or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
4 carrots chopped
6 stalks celery chopped
24 oz diced tomatoes
1 cup red wine (optional, but it really does add depth)
½ cup lemon juice
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
Sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Chopped green onions for garnish

Instructions

Brown sausage in large stock pot or Dutch oven for about ten minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
1 pound Italian sausage
Stir in onion and garlic; cook on medium heat for ten minutes more.
2 medium onions, 4 cloves garlic
Add lentils, stock, bay leaves, carrots, celery, and tomatoes (with juices). Bring soup to a boil, then simmer for an hour.
3 cups lentils, 12 cups beef, 2 bay leaves, 4 carrots, 6 stalks celery, 24 oz diced tomatoes
Remove bay leaf and stir in remaining ingredients except green onions. Simmer for 30 more minutes. Serve with green onions as optional garnish.
1 cup red wine, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar, Sea salt, Black pepper, Chopped green onions for garnish

Notes

Feel free to opt for low-sodium broth and eliminate the salt if you're reducing your salt intake. I use chicken broth in this recipe; beef or vegetable stock are fine, too.
When overcooked, lentils can become quite mushy. I don't recommend this recipe for an all-day slow cooker meal. You can use the slow cooker, but do it when you'll be around to check for doneness.
If you're vegetarian, simply skip the sausage and use vegetable stock.
To freeze, transfer cooled stew to a freezer-safe container and keep in the freezer for 3-4 months. You'll be ready to reheat a cozy meal any time! Divvying it up into meal sized portions is a great way to meal prep for busy nights or a hot lunch.

Nutrition

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