Sausage and Lentil Stew
Sausages browned until golden, then simmered with lentils, carrot and onion in a thyme-scented chicken stock until thick and hearty. A comforting one-pot dinner that only gets better as it sits.
- Total
- 65 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 50
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Simmering
- Savory
- Comforting
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Dice the onion into 1 cm pieces and cut the carrot into 1 cm rounds. Pick the thyme leaves and chop them roughly.
~8 min
-
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and brown them on all sides, about 6 minutes, until deeply golden. They do not need to be cooked through yet. Transfer to a plate.
~6 min
Searing the sausages creates a deep brown crust through the Maillard reaction, and the browned bits left in the pot will later flavor the stew.
Brown the sausages properly before they go back in: the dark crust they leave in the pot is what gives the lentils their depth, so do not rush this step or crowd the pan.
Searing Get the pan hot and leave the sausages undisturbed until they release easily, building a deep brown crust. Crowding steams them and prevents browning.
-
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and carrot to the pot and cook in the sausage fat for 6 minutes, stirring, until the onion is soft and lightly golden. Stir in the thyme and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
~6 min
Cooking the vegetables in the sausage fat dissolves the browned bits and builds a savory base, while softening the onion and carrot.
-
Add the lentils, 900 ml chicken stock, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Stir, scraping up the browned bits. Return the sausages to the pot, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover partly and cook for 30 minutes.
~30 min
Simmering gently allows the lentils to soften and the stock to reduce, thickening the stew without breaking the sausages.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, so the lentils cook evenly and the stew thickens without scorching. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
-
Uncover and simmer for 10 more minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils are tender and the liquid has thickened into a loose sauce that coats the back of a spoon. If the lentils are still firm, add 60 ml hot water, cover and cook 5 minutes more.
~5 min
Uncovering lets moisture evaporate so the liquid thickens into a sauce that coats the spoon, while the lentils finish cooking.
Lentils keep drinking liquid as they sit, so stop cooking while the stew is still slightly looser than you want. It will thicken to the right consistency in the bowls.
Simmering Keep the liquid at a gentle bubble, not a rolling boil, so the lentils cook evenly and the stew thickens without scorching. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
-
Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper. Spoon into shallow bowls, making sure each gets a sausage and plenty of the lentil sauce.
~3 min