This recipe was originally published on October 19, 2017.
Lentil stew with sausage is a wonderful stew to serve when you are in a hurry. This easy recipe comes together quickly and is full of flavor.
Best of all, this recipe can be made vegan or vegetarian, plus you can make it into a freezer meal or throw it in the crock pot.
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Ingredients
- Fat: olive oil
- Base: onion, celery, carrot, garlic
- Vegetables: diced tomatoes, cubed butternut squash, or kale
- Spices: Worcestershire sauce, oregano, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and black pepper
- Legumes: green or brown lentils, chickpeas, or yellow split peas
- Liquid: beef or vegetable stock
- Meat: kielbasa, lamb, or diced ham
- Garnish: parsley, shaved Parmesan, Greek yogurt, drizzle of olive oil
Questions
How many calories are in one serving?
One cup of lentil stew has 398 calories and 35.1g of carbs. This stew is high in vitamins A and C, plus it's full of protein and iron. For more detailed nutritional facts, please scroll to the end of the recipe card.
Do you have to soak lentil before cooking?
Although lentils are a dried legume, they don't need to be soaked beforehand, as they can cook in 35 minutes.
How do I make vegan or vegetarian lentil stew?
- Sauté the mirepoix in oil, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Deglaze the Dutch oven with 1 cup of vegetable broth or water.
- Bloom the dried spices (plus the additional 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika) by cooking them with the veggies for 1 minute.
- Add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add a ½ cup extra lentils, diced tomatoes, 3 cups cubed butternut squash, and the remaining vegetable broth or water.
- Pour in the Worcestershire sauce, and add one bay leaf. Cover, bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Stir in 3 cups of kale. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar for some extra tang.
How can I prep this for a freezer meal?
- Put all the prepped uncooked veggies in an airtight freezer container. Freeze the broth in a separate container, and do not freeze the spices or the lentils.
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
- When ready to use, thaw in the fridge overnight, or run the freezer bag under hot water to loosen it.
- Follow the crock pot instructions below.
How can I make this in the crock pot?
- Sauté the veggies in oil over medium high heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the all the ingredients to the crock pot, then stir. For the vegan version, omit the meat, add 1 tsp. smoked paprika, and 3 cups cubed squash.
- Cover and cook on high 5 to 6 hours or on low 7 to 8 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings. For the vegan version, add 3 cups kale and a splash of lemon juice or red wine vinegar at this step.
How to Make
Gather all the ingredients. Chop up the onion, carrot, celery, oregano, and kielbasa sausage, then mince the garlic. Measure out the spices.
Heat up the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Saute the onion, celery, and carrot until it's soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
Deglaze the pan with 1 cup of broth. Use a wooden turner to scrape off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. This will add more flavor.
Rinse the green lentils and add it to the Dutch oven.
Add the diced tomatoes, then pour in the broth. You can use beef, chicken, or vegetable broth. If you want lower sodium, use water, but add more spices to compensate.
Add the spices. In the picture, I have Worcestershire sauce, fresh oregano, 1 bay leaf, black pepper, cayenne, and crushed red pepper flakes for some extra kick.
Mix all the ingredients together with a large wooden spoon.
Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, add the kielbasa sausage and stir it in. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. If you want to add kale, now is the time. Cover and let simmer for another 15 minutes.
Remove the bay leaf and add more broth or water if you don't like your lentil stew thick.
Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with some crusty bread, like our white mountain bread.
Variations
- Want less fat and calories? Use turkey sausage or omit the meat.
- Want it more tangy? Just before serving add a splash of red wine vinegar or lemon juice.
- Want extra veggies? Try butternut squash, potatoes, kale, or spinach.
- Want other garnish ideas? Try baby celery leaves, shaved Parmesan, Greek yogurt, and a drizzle of olive oil.
- Want this vegetarian? Omit meat, add ½ cup more lentils, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 3 cups squash, 3 cups kale, and vegetable broth.
- Need less sodium? Use no salt diced tomatoes, replace the broth with water, and increase the spices to taste.
- Want a different meat? Try lamb, diced ham, or chorizo sausage.
Pro Tips
- What are the best lentils? Use brown or green; red is too mushy.
- Want additional flavor? Heat a little olive oil in the soup pot and saute the kielbasa for 10 minutes by itself before cooking the veggies.
- Need to use a slow cooker? Saute veggies first, then add everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low 7 to 8 hours.
- Want this for a freezer meal? Freeze everything uncooked, except the broth, for up to 2 months. Thaw in fridge or under hot water, then cook in crock pot.
Recommended Tools
- Emeril Lagasse 6-Quart Dutch Oven: this heavy-bottomed pot is a good size.
- Bamboo Spoon: this sturdy spoon is great for stirring sauteed veggies or soup.
- Set of 4 Metal Strainers: these sieves are easy to use for rinsing and sifting.
- Set of 6 Glass Prep Bowls: we love using these bowls for storing prepped ingredients.
Warm up from the inside out with these other healthy soups.
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Recipe
Lentil Stew with Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 ¼ cup onion, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, chopped (3 medium carrots)
- 1 cup celery, chopped (3 medium stalks)
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 cups beef broth
- 14 ounces kielbasa sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup green or brown lentils
- 28 ounces canned petite diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat up the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat, then saute the onion, carrots and celery for 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, stirring constantly.
- Deglaze the pan by pouring in 1 cup of beef broth. Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Add the beef broth, lentils, diced tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, fresh oregano, bay leaf and dried spices. Stir until well combined.
- Cover and bring the soup mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Add the kielbasa sausage. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, lemon juice or slices, Greek yogurt, or a drizzle of olive oil.
Crock Pot Instructions
- Follow step 1 for stovetop instructions. This step is optional, but it does add a lot more flavor.
- Dump everything in the crock pot and stir.
- Cover and cook on high for 5 to 6 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours.
- During the last 30 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. If you want to add 3 cups of kale, now is the time. If you want your lentil stew to be a bit tangy, add a splash of red wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice at the very end of cooking.
- Garnish with fresh parsley, lemon slices, Parmesan cheese shards, Greek yogurt, or a drizzle of olive oil.
Freezer Meal Instructions
- Do all the prep work. Cut up the vegetables and kielbasa sausage, then measure out the spices.
- Place all the uncooked ingredients, except the broth, in a freezer friendly glass container with a plastic lid. Label the lentil stew and date it the day it was assembled. If you want, tape the crock pot instructions to the plastic lid, or note it was from Savor the Flavour to look up on your smart phone.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to use thaw overnight in the fridge or sit in a 9x13-inch pan filled with hot water. This should loosen the uncooked ingredients from the container.
- Follow the instructions for making in the crock pot; just skip step 1 (sauteing the veggies).
Notes
- Use brown or green; red is too mushy.
- Heat a little olive oil in the soup pot and saute the kielbasa for 10 minutes by itself before cooking the veggies for additional flavor.
- If you need to use a slow cooker, saute veggies first, then add everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low 7 to 8 hours.
- Freeze everything uncooked, except the broth, for up to 2 months. Thaw in fridge or under hot water, then cook in crock pot for a great tasting freezer meal.
Nutrition
Alex
I like the soft kielbasa sausage, and the lentils give it a lovely taste. It smells so good when it is cooking! I like the flavor of this stew on the second day as leftovers, too.
Emma
I agree, Alex! It's hard to wait for this stew to finish cooking! You can't go wrong with amazing leftovers, either. Thanks for your kind comment, Alex!
Beth
The lentils and sausage have a nice texture. Overall, this stew is mildly spicy. I found it spicier on the first day compared to the leftovers. It tastes very good hot!
Emma
This stew definitely has some kick--but I like it that way. 😊 I'm glad you enjoyed it too!