It’s about 20 degrees outside, you’re sick of eating turkey, and you need a hot, spicy dish to snap you out of the winter doldrums. As it so happens, I have the perfect solution: a spicy bowl of lentil stew with Italian sausage. This stuff freezes well, it’s hearty, and you can adjust the heat level easily up or down, simply by adding more or less fresh habanero chile. The baseline heat level of the sausage is only warm, so if you want a real kick, add at least half a habanero to the pot.
I used Mulay’s Killer Hot Italian Sausage and cooked the soup in my La Chamba micaceous clay pot…both of which I describe in detail in my blog post, The Burn’ed Christmas List, Part 2.
Spicy Lentil Stew with Killer Sausage
Recipe Type: Soup
Author:
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
This spicy lentil stew brings the heat! Serve it with a big slice of buttered sourdough bread, and you won’t be hungry again for a while.
Ingredients
- 1/3 pound of bacon (about 5 slices), cut into 1/4-inch strips
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 large celery stalks, diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 fresh habanero chile, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped (add more if you love it hot)
- 1 pound dry split red lentils, rinsed and cleaned
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon dry)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 pound Mulay’s Killer Hot Italian Sausage (or substitute the Italian sausage of your choice, though it won’t be nearly as good)
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large 6-8 quart pot on medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook until browned. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside.
- Heat the remaining bacon fat and add the carrots, onions, celery, and cumin. Sauté until softened and onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and habanero, and cook for another minute.
- Return the cooked bacon to the pot and add the lentils, stock, water, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the stew, partially covered, until the lentils are tender—about 45 minutes.
- Brown the sausage links in a separate skillet over medium heat until they are cooked through. Remove from the pan and slice into bite-sized pieces when slightly cooled. Add the sausage to the stew during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
- Add the sherry vinegar and cilantro to the stew, and adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
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Lois Manno
Lois is the Editorial Director of the Burn! Blog and the Fiery Foods & BBQ SuperSite.
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Comments
Yesss we made the Burn! Blog! Can’t wait to try this out, bring the heat! Submit a recipe for our February Recipe Contest and receive a coupon for a FREE package of Mulay’s just for entering! https://www.facebook.com/mulays/app_451684954848385