Lentil and Sausage Stew

Dinners are important. The day is over, time to enjoy a relaxing meal. Well, that sounds nice, but usually isn’t true. The day is far from over, there’s still stuff to do. So a dinner that cooks itself would be nice, and, minimal dishes would be nice too. Now, most dinners don’t cook themselves, but, less time standing in front of the stove is a good thing. And one of the ways to minimize dishes is to have a one pot meal. That is where my lentil sausage stew comes in. Minimal time in front of the stove, one pot meal, so less dishes, and, it’s healthy too. This is the trifecta of dinner, and, it’s delicious.

It’s what’s in the fridge. It’s a simple idea. Most of us are not organized enough to have a weekly planner for meals, I know I’m certainly not. I go to the store once a week, get staples, fruits, vegetables and protein, usually what’s on sale. Take everything home and either freeze it or refrigerate it. So on any day when I get home, I look in the fridge and freezer and grab something to cook. This particular time, I had a half a kielbasa in the fridge. This recipe uses Kielbasa, but realistically you can use any smoked savory sausage. I always have lentils, chicken stock and veggies on hand, so lentils and sausage just came about.

I’m a fan of lentils and have quite a few recipes in my Indian Cuisine section. They are considered a super food, packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. Carbs for energy and they help to keep your gut regular. And they cook up so beautifully. This, is considered a stew, and, stews always start with aromatics. Sometimes called a mirepoix, in this case we will use onions, garlic and a pepper. Starting with the onions, chopped fine and sautéed in olive oil. Brown them up in some olive oil over medium heat. It’s called the Maillard reaction, named after a French scientist. The boring part is that it’s the reaction of amino acids and sugars when heated. The fun part is the flavors and colors generated by the process.

Now add the finely diced garlic, let that brown off a bit, then the diced pepper. Now the aromatics are ready, add the cut up Kielbasa. Normally I would also add some herbs and spices at this point. But, the kielbasa will bring a lot to the table in the flavor dept. so I won’t add anything more. Stir that around and let it’s flavors come out. You’ll definitely smell the sausage at this point. Finally, add the rinsed lentils, mix well with all the other ingredients. The idea is that the lentils will absorb some of the flavors in the pan before absorbing the liquid. Now add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil, lower and cook about 30 mins, or till the lentils are cooked.

And that’s it, lentil and sausage stew. As with any stew, let it cool for 10 mins before serving. Now ladle into bowls and put it on the table. Top with croutons, or, serve something crunchy on the side, top with some cheese if you like. The serving options are endless, but one thing is for sure, it’s delicious, enjoy the meal and thanks for reading