There are certain foods that taste especially good on a cold blustery day and a hearty soup or stew perfectly meets that desire. Probably one of my all-time favorite winter stews is my Sweet Italian Sausage Lentil Stew. If you normally don’t care for lentils, this recipe might change your mind. Trust me on this one! It is a rich, creamy stew that is simply delicious. I’ve had numerous people say they don’t care for lentils but love this recipe. It freezes well if you make a large pot and it is perfect reheated due to the depth of flavor that richens the longer it sits.
I live on the rolling hills of the Palouse and am surrounded by lentil, wheat, garbanzo and pea fields. We are in winter now, so our fields are not this beautiful golden hue that they are in late July and early August. When the fields are covered in snow the rolling hills throw beautiful shadows and the soft bending of light produces a true work of art. In the spring they are covered in a brilliant velvet of green as the crops burst through the rich soil and then gently change to the golden waves of grain pictured below. My favorite Palouse photographer is Alison Meyer. Her working is stunning, although I think my little snapshot below competes pretty well.
And let me tell you, we do have winters here! The farmers appreciate heavy snowfall in the winter, bringing ample moisture to the ground when it melts in early spring. But I’m not sure how much my husband appreciates it when the snow shoveling comes around! This is a picture I took from my deck a few years ago. This snow fell all in one night!
And it’s on days like this that a warm bowl of Sweet italian Sausage Lentil Stew tastes so good. Lentils are an ancient grain. In fact they are mentioned in the Old Testament when Jacob trades a bowl of lentil stew for Esau’s birthright. If you have never tried lentils, they have an earthy flavor and best of all are inexpensive. You generally can pick up a bag of lentils at the store for just over a dollar. Another favorite lentil recipe is my Red Lentil Soup with Sausage and Kale.
Simple ingredients such as carrots, leeks, spinach, Italian sausage, lentils and cream make up this soup. I hope you try it and let me know what you think.
Sweet Italian Sausage Lentil Stew
Print recipe
| Serves | 6 |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 40 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hour |
| Dietary | Gluten-free |
| Meal type | Lunch, Main Dish, Soup |
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1lb sweet Italian sausage
- 2/3 cups carrots (chopped)
- 1/2 cup leeks (chopped)
- 1/2 cup sweet onion (chopped)
- 1/2 cup celery (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 1/2 cup dry lentils (rinsed)
- 5 cups beef bone broth (or chicken broth)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
- 1/2 bag frozen spinach (organic 16 oz.)
- salt & pepper
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Saute sweet Italian sausage until fully cooked. remove from heat, set aside. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Chop carrots, leeks, onion, and celery. In a large pot, melt butter and oil together and add chopped vegetables. Saute until onions are transparent. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add minced garlic and stir. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Add beef broth, red wine vinegar and mustard. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Add dry lentils and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to prevent lentils from sticking. Once stew has come to a boil turn heat down to low and simmer for 30 minutes. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Add sausage and spinach to pot and simmer another 10 minutes. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Add milk and cream, stir to fully incorporate. | |
| Step 8 | |
| Salt and pepper to taste. | |
| Step 9 | |
| Serve warm. | |
This recipe has been shared on the following blogs: NourishingJoy
love lentil soups! My grandparents are Italian and it is tradition to have a huge bowl of Italian Lentil soup during the holiday season… Great Recipe!
Aww, thank you! I love lentils, too, especially in stews.
Yum! I will add this to my recipes I need to try because I love lentil soup and this looks delicious!
If you love lentils, I can almost guarantee it will become a favorite!
Yum!!! I should make this today and freeze a bunch for when baby comes. Thanks for sharing!
xoxo
Lee Anne
http://lifeinatx.com/
It does freeze super well, so that is a great idea. Everyone knows how busy life is after the baby comes!
I have been all about soups lately. This looks amazing. Hearty and delicious. I would love to try this!
I hope you do try it and let me know what you think.
This looks like a bowl of heaven to me. We live on soups and my hubby does a great lentil one that we usually add sausage on the side too – looks like we should be cooking them with the lentils! My hubby is doing a photography trip to your neck of the woods in May.
That’s great! He will love the Palouse. It is especially beautiful in the springtime!
such a hearty stew! must be yummy and perfect for winter days!
It warms the belly for sure!
This soup looks perfect for that snow day!
Yes, cold days always help in wanting a nice warm soup!
Great recipe! I am slowly falling in love with a good soup. It must be the cold weather!
The cold weather always makes me want to fix warm, earthy foods.
Your picture of the fields is absolutely incredible! That should definitely be entered into a competition! The lentil stew looks so delicious. I definitely understand enjoying it when it’s cold and miserable outside!
Katie <3
Thank you! That picture was actually taken on my iPhone if you can believe that!
This looks great! I have not cooked with lentils ever. Maybe I need to try.
I have found a lot of people that have never tried them. They flow freely around here. Every Year in late August we have a lentil festival.
Look at that snow!!! I bet a good stew would warm you up when you have huge snow days like that!
Oh yes, there’s nothing better, well maybe a hot bath!
Ooooh I love this recipe. Looks like a big hug in a bowl. I can’t wait for winter to try it (currently stinking hot here in Sydney, Australia)
Rosie x
Yes, not sure I’d want a bowl of it in the summer, even though it’s super delicious. Tuck it away for a winter’s day.
With all that snow stew would be perfect. That is a lot of snow,
Yes, it was a lot of snow! It took a while to shovel it all and a warm bowl of stew is perfect after the shoveling workout!
This looks great! I have GF family and I know they would love this!
Please pass it along. Many times thick soups are thickened with flour. It’s nice to find thick soups that don’t.
Yum! That looks like a great recipe. Perfect for a cold day!
Yes, it’s such a tasty recipe that it does make me thankful for winter.
That bowl is just so pretty… and that napkin! I love your photography skills 🙂
Thank you! I take all my images with my very expensive “iPhone”.-LOL
I’m totally craving soup right now as the snow falls outside, this looks delicious!
It’s the best season to make it for sure!
Yum! I can’t imagine having that much snow! Do you have the shovel it out?
That was on our back deck and had to be shoveled by hand. Thankfully we have a snow blower for the driveway. This hearty lentil stew is a welcome treat after a day like this!