Okay, you’re really going to have to try not to judge a book by its cover here. I know this Lentil & Sausage Stew isn’t the prettiest thing to look at, but, OMG, it will knock the socks right off your taste buds! No joke. We’re talking insanely delicious here…like “at the end of the week I’ll be sad that there isn’t any left” delicious. But worry not, it makes a huge batch so you can always stash a few servings in the freezer for later.
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“I absolutely love this recipe! I made it a couple of months ago and froze the leftovers for easy “I don’t feel like cooking tonight” meals. Delicious every time, even after a couple months in the freezer.”
Beth
I recently made a batch of my tomato lentil soup and still had half a big bag of lentils left, and I remembered just how good this lentil and sausage stew is (and I already had all the ingredients on hand!). Plus, since I’m trying to pack more fiber into my meals, it checked all the boxes. This easy recipe uses Italian sausage for a boost of flavor, plenty of onion, carrot, and celery for a hearty base, and a mix of cayenne, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano to keep every bite warm and flavorful. I also stir in a bag of frozen spinach at the end for an easy veggie boost!
Lentil and Sausage Stew
Servings 8 about 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- ½ lb. Italian sausage ($1.93)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.70)
- 3 carrots ($0.30)
- 4 ribs celery ($0.45)
- 2 garlic cloves ($0.08)
- 2 cups brown lentils (uncooked, $1.18*)
- 6 cups chicken broth ($0.78**)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper ($0.05)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika ($0.10)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
- 10 oz. frozen spinach ($1.34***)
Instructions
- Brown the sausage in a large pot over medium heat, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks.
- While the sausage is cooking, prepare your vegetables: wash, peel and slice the carrots, slice the celery, dice the onion, and mince the garlic. Once the sausage is cooked, add the vegetables to the pot and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent (about 5 min).
- Add the lentils to the pot along with the cayenne, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and chicken broth.
- Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow it to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Add more water if it gets too dry.
- Stir in the frozen spinach and cook for about 15 minutes more. Serve with a thick slice of crusty bread!
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Lentil and Sausage Stew Step-By-Step Photos
Brown the meat: Brown ½ lb. Italian sausage in a large pot over medium heat, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks. Depending on the fat content of your sausage, you may need to add a splash of oil to the pot to get it going in the beginning, and you may want to drain off the excess fat if there is a lot (mine did not need to be drained).
Sauté the veggies: While the sausage is cooking, Peel and slice three carrots, slice 4 ribs celery, dice one onion, and mince two cloves of garlic. Add them to the pot once the sausage has browned, and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent.
Make the stew: Add 2 cups brown lentils to the pot along with ½ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, and 1 tsp smoked paprika.
Simmer: Add 6 cups of chicken broth to the pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat up to medium-high, and allow it to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are soft. Add more water if it gets too dry.
Once the lentils are tender, you can add the spinach. Spinach is a delicate green, so I add it at the end to prevent overcooking and total disintegration.
Stir in 10 oz. frozen spinach and cook for another 15 minutes or until heated through.
And then the lentil & sausage stew is done and ready to eat!
It’s hard to tell, but it is BURSTING with flavor, I swear. You’re going to LOVE this one.
Variations to Try!
I first posted this lentil and sausage stew recipe allllll the way back in 2010, and since then, I’ve tried a ton of different variations (and some of my readers have shared their own delicious spins, too). It’s one of those recipes that’s super flexible. Here are some variations I think you’ll love:
- Swap the meat. You can use any Italian sausage (sweet, spicy, etc) or swap it for another flavor-packed alternative like sliced andouille, Spanish chorizo, or kielbasa. I wouldn’t swap it with plain meat, like ground beef, unless you plan to add a tablespoon or so of Italian seasoning to make up for the lost seasonings in the meat.
- Make it meatless. Of course, you can make this recipe veggie/vegan by subbing the sausage for a veggie alternative, or leaving it out entirely. Again, you’d need to up the seasonings in the stew to make up for the lost flavor. Or, better yet, you could follow my vegan lentil stew recipe instead.
- Play with the seasonings. Go lighter on the cayenne for a less spicy flavor, add more salt to taste, or up all the seasonings in this recipe as desired.
- Use any veggies you like. Diced bell pepper, canned tomatoes, kale or mustard greens (in place of the spinach), sliced mushrooms, or any vegetable you like will work.
- Make it creamy. Add some canned full-fat coconut milk 5 minutes before the stew is done simmering, like I do in my creamy lentil soup recipe.
- Try an Instant Pot. I haven’t tried this recipe in an Instant Pot yet, but if I did, here’s what I’d do: start by browning the sausage on the sauté setting, then add everything else except the spinach. I’d set it to high pressure for about 30 minutes, then stir in the spinach at the end. You may not even need the full 30 minutes, so I’d definitely peek at the manual for their recommendation on brown lentils. Or maybe even try the soup function instead.
Storage & Reheating
This recipe makes a big batch, but the good news is it stores beautifully. Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months (thaw in the fridge before reheating). You can also cut the recipe in half if you don’t need as much. Since sausage usually comes in one‑pound packs, I’ll often use half here and freeze the other half for later.
To reheat, warm the stew gently on the stovetop over medium‑low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if it’s too thick.
My son gets a food basket every week as part of his enrollment at the junior college; and this week he received lentils, so I used the “Ingredients” index on this website to look up lentil recipes.
I think a really good thing about Budget Bytes is that there’s a lot of recipes where you mix a little of something delicious but unhealthy–like sausage–and use it to flavor a lot of healthy food (like lentils and vegetables).
Great recipe! Delicious and so good for you!
Needs salt! And I feel like I could double the spices (maybe not the cayenne) to add more flavor. I covered the pot while simmering because I worried it would get too dry, but it ended up being too watery for my liking.
This is a great base recipe that can be altered depending on what you have on hand. I have made it several times now – as written; using dinner sausage cut into cubes; adding green pepper; subbing in a can of diced tomatoes, a splash of red and 5 cups of beef broth…every iteration has been phenomenal! It’s a fantastic way to use up odds and ends in the fridge with lentils and broth.
I used sliced Portuguese sausage and a added a handful of arugula at the end instead of frozen spinach. Tasted great!
I made this using ground deer and using fresh kale, Amazing!!!
Great recipe. I have made this many times, using all different kinds of sausage. Always comes out fantastic. Thanks.
I’ve made this a few times and I LOVE it! I’ll cook it in the instapot to spend up the cooking time. I’m always happy with the taste AND the cost.
Very nice recipe, and very easy to make. I used a full pound of sausage and cut back the cayenne to 1/4 tsp and it was just about right. I’ll be making this several more times this winter. I’d estimate the entire pot cost me less than $8.
I don’t have crusty bread.
Excellent! I changed the sausage to beef kielbasa.
Can I use red lentils?
You can, however red lentils generally cook faster than brown and green so I would cook them about 5 minutes less and just keep an eye on them so they don’t get mushy.
Made this using spicy impossible sausage and was amazed at how delicious this was. I’m about to make it again but this time double everything and wanted to know if this froze well?
We haven’t tried but I’d think it should freeze well!
Thanks for posting the recipe. I made a bigger pot with more spicy chicken Italian sausage. Really enjoyed it. Good instructions too!
Delicious! We recently made pizza and had cooked sausage in the freezer. My daughter and I like to donate blood and lentils help with iron levels so we thought it would be good to make. Smelled so good while it was cooking!