Sausage Lentil Stew

This wonderful way to stretch a sausage is largely based on the recipes from Budget Bytes and Ina Garten, adapted - as always - to fit my own tastes more closely. This stew is perfection on a cool fall evening, so definitely give it a try the next time your weather turns bracing!

Sausage Lentil Stew

(8 servings)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

1 medium onion (chopped)

4 ribs of celery (chopped)

2 medium carrots (chopped or sliced)

190g / 6.7oz of sausage* (sliced or cubed)

5 cloves of garlic (crushed/minced)

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 teaspoons of smoked paprika

1 teaspoon of dried sage (to taste)

Black pepper (to taste)

Parsley (to taste)

Red pepper flakes (to taste)

8 cups of broth

2 cups of water

2 cups dry brown lentils (rinsed**)

Small bunch of collard greens or kale (chopped)

Salt (to taste)

Sour cream (to serve***)

Baguette or sourdough (if desired)

*Some sort of smoked sausage - farmer's sausage, kielbasa, et cetera - works best.

**Check for stones before rinsing as those can make for extremely unpleasant surprises when eating...

***Adding sour cream to hearty soups is a habit picked up in Eastern Europe that I just can't seem to shake - and why? It makes a good soup great! To each their own though, as always.

Directions

1) Put a large wok or soup pot over medium heat, add the oil and butter, and once hot sauté the onion, celery, carrots, and sausage until the veggies start to become tender.

2) Add the garlic to the pot and continue sautéing for another minute or two.

3) Stir in the tomato paste with the herbs and seasonings and keep cooking for another couple of minutes.

4) Once the pot is fragrant add the broth, water, and lentils to the pot, set the heat to high, and once everything is boiling well cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

5) Add the collard greens to the pot, re-cover, and continue simmering for another 20 minutes.

6) Taste the finished product, add salt if desired, and enjoy as is, with some crusty bread, a dollop of sour cream, et cetera!