Name: French Sausage and Lentils Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 5 plump good quality sausages; 1-1 pound package of Le Puy lentils; olive oil (for dressing the lentils and for sautéing); 1/2 of a chopped white onion; 3 smashed garlic cloves; 5 cups of stock (or water works too); 1 1/2 cups of your favorite red wine ( I use Cabernet Sauvignon); salt and cracked black pepper to taste

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This French Sausage and Lentils Recipe is a hearty, flavorful dish of lentils cooked in wine and sausages that balances out the modesty of the lentils.

For me, there is nothing cozier than a warm meal and time spent inside my kitchen on a rainy day preparing it. The smells and sounds of cooking are somehow tranquil in their way. This is especially so when the rain is pouring down outside. Beating harshly outside the window.

A glow from the candle on my countertop and the joy of chopping the veggies. I love the sound they make when they hit the hot pan. Instantly, the aromas fill the air and the whole house seems to change.

With the seasons, the meals get rotated out. Heartier meals in winter and light more fresh flavors during the summer. It’s all part of the idea of enjoying the seasons through food. A powerful and daily way to do so.

For this recipe, we are of course in the midst of the hearty meal season. A desire for comfort through food. Yet many times over we feel the word “comfort” belongs to meals that suggest high fats and foods of the lesser health conscience variety.

However, it is entirely untrue that food needs to be unhealthy to be comforting. This Sausage and Lentils Recipe is the perfect concept for such. Blending robust flavors that meld together in one pot and provide us with a filling delicious dish that is satisfying on a cold winter day.

Why I Love This Recipe

This dish is so simple to put together. It combines two of my favorite ways to cook. First, the start of everything in one pot. What could be simpler? Secondly, the simmering effects of a pot on the stovetop bubbling away. Both leave you with less mess with the use of one pot.

While the other, allows you to do the prep work and then wait while the pot does the rest. The end result is a satisfying, hearty dish that fill you up and provides that comfort we are all seeking on these cold winter days.

What You’ll Need To Make It

5 plump good quality sausages (use Kielbasa, Smoked, Polish style sausages)

1-1 pound package of Le Puy lentils

olive oil (for dressing the lentils and for sautéing)

1/2 of a chopped white onion

3 garlic cloves

5 cups of stock (or water works too)

1 1/2 cups of your favorite red wine ( I use Cabernet Sauvignon)

salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

Begin by mincing the garlic and chopping up the onion.

Using a Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed covered pot, drizzle about 2 tbsp of olive oil and begin heating the pot on medium. Once heated add the sausages and begin browning.

Once the sausages are crisp and cooked, remove them, cover and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add a couple of swirls of olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and begin sautéing.

When the onions are translucent, deglaze the pan by adding the wine and stirring up all the bits on the bottom.

Add the garlic, lentils and a bit more salt and pepper.

Stir the contents to combine then pour in the water and cover the pot.

Allow it to cook for about 20 to 25 minutes. Once done, remove from heat.

French sausage and lentils with olive oil being poured on

Serve along side sausages and garnish lentils with olive oil before serving.

French sausage and lentils in a white bowl

Cooking Notes

If you can’t find Le Puy lentils you can sub out for regular green lentils. The regular green lentils have a slightly different texture but still, work great for this recipe.
Be sure to cook the sausages until crispy before removing them from the skillet.
It’s a good idea to soak lentils for 30 minutes before beginning this recipe.

Serving Suggestions

When serving this dish, I like to plate this in bowls. Place the lentils in first, then sliced the sausages over. Finished off with a drizzle of olive oil. It is a good idea to leave the olive oil dispenser on the table in case you need more.
This recipe is great alone but also lovely paired with a light salad to start.
If serving this for a gathering, a great dessert to make alongside this is this Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler. Another simple, one-pan dish that you can make ahead with ease.

FAQ

Why soak the lentils before using them?

Soaking the lentils helps shorten the cooking time and the lentils are better digested when soaked.

What are Le Puy lentils?

This is a simple French recipe for sausages and lentils. As such, Le Puy lentils are traditionally used in the dish as they hold up well next to the sausages. Le Puy lentils are a type of green lentils that are grown in the Puy region of central France. They tend to hold their texture after cooking as opposed to other varieties of lentils. If you have trouble finding Le Puy Lentils, you can use standard green lentils. Keep in mind cooking times might vary a little.

What goes best with this French Sausage and Lentils Recipe?

I normally serve it alone as it is really hearty. However, it pairs well with a light salad and or a rustic style bread.

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!

Yield: 5 servings