Lentils with sausage used to be seen as poor man's food, but these days it has a regular spot on the Bulgarian table. It's made with simple ingredients – lentils, onion, carrot and sausage – and it's ready in under an hour. It's a good choice for a weekday lunch: it fills you up without weighing you down.

1 hrprep 15 min · cook 45 min
4 servingsLunch
Easydifficulty
420 kcalper serving

Ingredients

  • 350 gbrown lentils
  • 1onion
  • 1carrot (medium)
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • 300 gsmoked sausage
  • 3 tbspvegetable oil
  • 1 tbsptomato paste
  • 1 tsppaprika
  • 1bay leaf
  • 1 tspsavory
  • 1.2 lwater or stock
  • to tastesalt
  • to tasteblack pepper

Method

  1. Rinse the lentils

    Tip the lentils into a sieve and rinse under cold running water until it runs clear. Let them drain.

  2. Sauté the vegetables

    Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion and grated carrot and fry for 5-6 minutes, until the onion turns clear.

  3. Add the sausage

    Cut the sausage into slices about 1 cm thick and add to the vegetables. Fry for another 2-3 minutes, until it starts to release its fat.

    If the sausage is very fatty, pour off half the fat before you carry on, to keep the stew light.

    lentils with sausage — Add the sausage

  4. Season it

    Add the crushed garlic, paprika and tomato paste. Stir fast for 20-30 seconds over the heat so the paprika doesn't burn.

  5. Add the lentils and water

    Tip the drained lentils into the pot and pour in 1.2 litres of water or stock. Add the bay leaf and bring to the boil over high heat.

  6. Simmer until soft

    Turn the heat down to low-medium, cover and simmer for 30-35 minutes, until the lentils are soft but still hold their shape.

  7. Finish with savory

    Five minutes before the end, add the savory and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Stir gently so you don't break up the sausage.

  8. Let it rest

    Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes before serving, so the sauce thickens on its own.

    lentils with sausage — Let it rest

How to serve it

Serve hot, topped with grated hard cheese, alongside a slice of freshly baked bread.

Did you know?

Lentils have been grown in the Mediterranean and the Middle East for more than 8,000 years, which makes them one of the oldest cultivated legumes in the world.

Per serving (approximate): 420 kcal · protein 22 g · fat 16 g · carbs 48 g