Lentils with Sausage & Sage

This is the kind of dinner that will make you feel good. When we were done eating it, we said, “I feel good,” and we meant it. It tastes good, it’s filling, it’s not heavy, and it’s a quick and easy turnaround. Basically, everything I look for in a weeknight dinner.

Cooking dry lentils does take some time, to be completely honest - but, in my book, that’s easily dismissed because they can be done the night before or anytime the day you’re eating. Plus, simmering lentils with some roughly chopped vegetables never seems like much of a chore - I put it on and, while I might peek once in a while if I’m around, I pretty much check back again 90 minutes later. I used green lentils, but brown lentils would be a fine substitute. I would stay away from orange or red lentils, which tend to lose their shape and get mushy. Soak lentils for three hours, up to overnight, before cooking; this has the benefit of making them cook faster and makes them easier to digest.

Once the lentils are done, the rest is simple: sear some sausage, sizzle sage and garlic (whole, not even chopped!) to flavor some olive oil, mix and serve. I chose to use chunks of sausage, but it would be faster cooking to use loose sausage and break it up as you cook - and you’d have the added benefit of more distributed sausage in your bites. I recommend a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon at the end of this, along with the chopped parsley, to bring some brightness and freshness.

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Lentils with Sausage & Sage

Time: 2 hours || Servings: 4 || Source: Slightly adapted from The Silver Spoon

• Lentils, green or brown - 9 oz (approximately 1 ⅓ cups)

• Celery stalk - 1

• Carrot - 1

• Onion, small - 1

• Italian sausage (hot or sweet) - 4 links, around 12 oz

• Olive oil - 3 tbsp, plus more for garnish

• Sage leaves - 6

• Garlic clove - 1

• Lemon juice - 1/2 of a lemon, or to taste

• Parsley - 1 tbsp, chopped

Soak the lentils for at least 3 hours, up to overnight. Discard any lentils that float to the top of the bowl. When you’re ready to cook them, drain and rinse the lentils. Place them in a pot and add water to cover; there should be about an inch of water above the lentils. Cut the onion in half and add to the pot with the celery stalk and carrot (roughly chop celery and carrot if needed to fit the pot). The vegetables should be washed but do not need to be peeled. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 90 minutes, adding additional water if it drops below the lentils. Taste the lentils to determine that they are done; they should be tender to the bite, although some varieties may have more firmness. Cook until they reach your desired consistency, then drain and season with a pinch of salt.

Place a heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Chop the sausages or remove them from their casing and crumble them. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pan, then add the sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about ten minutes.

In a large pan, place the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil over low heat. Add the sage and garlic and cook slowly until garlic is golden brown. Remove and discard the garlic. Add the sausages and lentils to the oil and remove from heat. Mix well. Serve with a squeeze of lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, and chopped parsley.