Thick lentil stew with potatoes and sausage
For more mouth-watering lentil dishes, try the filling lentils with rice and sausage and the velvety cream of red lentil and potato soup for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients · Servings 4
- brown lentils - 300 g
- sausage - 250 g
- potatoes - 500 g
- carrots - 2 pcs.
- onion - 1 head
- garlic - 3 cloves
- tomato paste - 2 tbsp.
- red pepper - 1 tsp
- oil or olive oil - 3 tbsp.
- bay leaf - 1 pc.
- salt - 1 tsp.
- black pepper - 1/2 tsp.
- water or vegetable broth - 1.4 l
- green onion - 2 sprigs
- fresh basil - 4 leaves
- saltine crackers - 80 g
Method · 1 h 10 min
- Wash the lentils well under running water until the water runs clear. If they are older, they can be soaked for 20 minutes to cook more evenly, but this is not necessary for brown lentils.
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into medium cubes. Cut the carrots into small pieces, chop the onion, and crush or finely chop the garlic.
- The sausage is cut into slices to add flavor to the stew and distribute well in each serving.
- Heat the oil or olive oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Fry the onion and carrots for 5-6 minutes, until they soften and start to smell sweet.
- Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds, without letting it brown.
- The sausage slices are placed with the vegetables and fried for 4-5 minutes. This way, the fat and spices from the sausage flavor the base of the thick lentil stew.
- Add the tomato puree and red pepper, stir for about 1 minute to develop their color and aroma.
- Add the washed lentils, potatoes, bay leaf and water or broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer gently for about 35-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the liquid reduces too much, add a little hot water.
- When the lentils are tender and the potatoes are easy to break up with a spoon, season the stew with salt and pepper. For a thicker texture, some of the potatoes can be mashed lightly in the pot and stirred back into the sauce. Let the stew simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- The finished thick stew of lentils with potatoes and sausage is left to rest for 10 minutes before serving. It is served warm, sprinkled with finely chopped green onions and fresh basil leaves. The saltine crackers go with the sauce and add a nice crunch.
- Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a little water or broth, as the lentils and potatoes thicken the stew further.
