Sausage and Lentils

This turned out much better than I expected with a couple of tweaks. As written it seems it would be filling but a tad bland. I used a venison sausage, added some chili powder and garlic along with the cumin, and some tomato sauce as well. Definitely making this again with those adjustments!

For lentils this was actually pretty good! I never know what to do with the lentils I have in my pantry, and this was quite tasty, and QUICK! I used turkey polska keilbasa and served it with sauted paper-thin sliced carrots and onions. It took a lot of salt and pepper to make it palatable at first, but the end result was great, especially when I mixed in the extra vegetables. Looking forward to lunch tomorrow!

Very good! Something unique & different for a change! Very fast and easy to make! We used the Polish sausage, but I added a little more than what was called for, to even out more with the lentils!

Bland as written, but delicious if you sub chicken stock for the water the recipe calls for. We also threw in a can of diced tomatoes, lots of garlic, strips of bell pepper, and chili powder. This is one of those meals where you can throw in any veggie odds and ends you have, and it just improves the base recipe. With the tweaks mentioned, the recipe was a solid 4 or 4.5 star dinner.

We loved the idea of sausage and lentils coming together in one dish, I just thought it lacked a little. I boiled the lentils in chicken broth instead of the water. I also added about 3 cups of cabbage when I added the sausage. It turned out wonderful.

Wonderful recipe! With the help of previous reviews, this recipe came out wonderfully. Rather than water, I used 3-1/2 cups of chicken brother. I used 3 green bulb onions and sauteed them before adding to the lentils. I also sauteed 3 thinly sliced carrots and added those to lentils early on. For my sausage, I used Andouille sausage (it was all I had - I'd use Kielbassa next time for less spiciness). I cooked it a bit before adding it to the lentils, as well. I added the cumin, salt & pepper as shown, plus some onion powder & 1/4 tsp of curry, although with the spicy sausage, it would've been fine with no curry. Overall, I'm quite pleased with the outcome!

This recipe was really easy and good. I love lentils and the cumin gives them a great spiciness.

This didn't have very much flavor and was very plain. We went out for pizza after trying this one.

Great comfort food! I added a bag of stew veggies and they tasted just like grandma used to make.

Love this recipe. Doing doing it for a few years. I added to it, a small can of tomatoes, some carrots, basil, red wine and garlic..

This is a great recipe. I followed the advice of some reviewers and added a little garlic and a shredded carrot, also a little green pepper. I used chicken broth instead of water and turkey kielbasa, delicious. It is a tasty, easy recipe to make and is also good when reheated.

My husband and I didn't like this at all! Plus it was a weird gray color, which was gross looking.

Used a whole onion, 14 oz. of jalapeño pork-venison sausage, and ham base. Delicious with these changes. (I didn't think the sausage was pre-cooked, so I extended the cook time to 15 minutes.

Agree with reviews above - tomato sauce, extra chili powder, garlic are all great additions. And (in my opinion) sauteed spinach makes this a healthier dish (and better!)

I substituted chicken broth, like others suggested. I also added a big bunch of kale. It's delish. Thanks!

I love making this quick & simple recipe. It is pretty bland as written, but if you substitute chicken stock for the water, it turns out great :)

This recipe was the first time I ever tried lentils. It was good.

the cumin was over powering and i only put in 3/4 of a teaspoon...i suppose if you like the flavor of cumin its good, but not a fan

This is my first time preparing lentils. I know that pulses can be bland,so I was generous with my seasonings,using liberal amounts of paprika, turmeric, sea salt and fresh ground black pepper. My cooking liquid of choice is always bouillon made from Osem brand chicken-style consomme powder(it is parve for us kosher cooks) and I used Tofurkey brand kielbasa style vegetarian sausage. I garnished the dish with some freshly chopped tomato. It looks attractive and is flavorful enough, but maybe next time I'll saute the onions first and add some tomato sauce to the pot when the lentils are softened as acidic foods keep lentils from cooking soft I'm told. Wonder how this would turn out in a slow cooker?

My husband liked it, but I think it was pretty bland. Maybe curry powder as well as cumin. I served it over rice, but I might try again over couscous.

Last minute meal turn out yummmmmy! Thanks for the recipe, did it at the last minute and turned out great! Marmarti, Chicago, IL

I added some frozen mixed veggies and herbs: thyme, sage, mace, and herbal salt; omitted the pepper. It was very good and the whole family loved it!

This was so delicious, but instead of water I used Beef Broth. I also added a 1/2 an onion, two cloves of garlic, a couple of dashes of parsley flakes and a dash of oregano and garlic salt. YUMMY

Love this

added carrots and chicken broth instead of water. also added spinach. yum!

Wonderful! My husband & sons are not beans & lentils kinds of guys, but they all enjoyed this. Next time I might brown the sausage slices (I used turkey kielbasa) before adding to the lentils, since I think it gives a better flavor. Also, I doubled the recipe, but it was too much cumin. Next time I'll try 1-1/2 tsp for a double batch.

I have never eaten a lentil... followed this almost completely as written. used turkey smoked sausage.. AWESOME.. I did like others suggested add shredded carrots..and more onions.

I'm rating this 5 stars so others will try it with cumin! I totally doctored it up, and yes-then the 5-star rating doesn't really reflect the recipe as written; however, I think we loved what I did BECAUSE of the cumin (which I never would have thought to add). Having 5 kids, I doubled the recipe for our needs and then tweaked as follows: instead of all the water, I substituted 1qt chicken broth + 1 c water, then added 15 oz can diced tomatoes, 1 generous cup each of chopped carrots & celery, and a 10 oz jar of tomato pesto that I bought at Aldi's. I sauted the onion/carrot/celery in olive oil, then dumped everything else in. It was a bit on the soupy side, so next time I think I'll omit the 1 c water. We served the sausage on the side instead of in the lentils. Everyone ate it -from adults to oldest teen to youngest toddler.

This recipe was very good. I used chunked up spiral ham that I had left over from a previous dinner. Be careful when adding your salt, it can keep your lentils from softening. I would recommend adding the other spices when it says to and add the salt about 5 minutes before you take it off the stove. Also my lentils took a good bit longer than it says to cook and soften, closer to an hour. Will make this again!

Simple, delicious, fast.

It is not the best lentils I have eaten. I think something other than cumin would appeal to me more. I would also add a bit of hot sauce.

Your rating for this recipe really depends on how much you like lentils since this is pretty straightforward. I happen to like them. Lentils are served frequently in Spanish cuisine and having Spanish parents I am used to their taste - other reviewers who have not tried lentils may not be used to their taste or put off by the appearance. Personally I am loving this very wholesome dish!

We'd never tried lentils before and I was a little apprehensive smelling it while cooking...until I took the first bite. Had a can of lentils, so used that (cutting back the water) and used 16oz of (lowfat) smoked sausage. Tasted great!

I make this different every time. Once as the recipe was written, once with red chili powder, this time with Cajun spices and Cajun sausage. Delicious every time

perfect comfort food on a cold night!

You either like lintels or you don't. There is no grey really. I needed a recipe for the polish sausage that I had out. I also needed to feed a family of five. I did not feel like fussing much with cooking so I wanted something quick and easy. This recipe is quick and easy. I doubled the recipe, and made it as written. After tasting at near completion of cooking time, I also added 1 tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning. That gave this recipe the little added boost it needed. For me without adding the Old Bay Seasoning, it was rather bland. My family ate the meal and they too thought it was okay.

this recipe was simple and tasty!

This is a great quick and cheap meal! Definitely use chicken broth instead of water for better flavor. I only had ground Italian sausage so I browned it up separately first. I added some kale along with the sausage, which works really well. I also didn't have any cumin, so I added red pepper flakes, garlic powder, oregano, and a bit of basil with the salt and pepper.

We love Lentils and this recipe is quick easy and really highlights their flavor! A qucik favorite in my house.

Quite tasty and very simple. I added just a little bit of granulated chicken bouillon and garlic, and I think it helped with the blandness. Yum!

I think as written the recipe is a little bland for most tastes. We added extra salt and some cayenne pepper seasoning to give it a flavor and it was pretty good. Thanks very much for sharing.

I was looking for something flavorful to get the kids eating lentils and this did the trick, with some modifications. I used smoked sausage (probably added more than called for) and also replaced water with chicken broth. I sauteed about 5-6 cloves garlic, onion, and a variety of vegetables (carrot, asparagus, red pepper, and squash) before adding them to the cooking lentils. I also added extra cumin, due to people saying they thought it was bland. It turned out savory, flavorful, and delicious. Even my picky eater wolfed it down, and they all loved it mixed with mashed potatoes

Easy and delicious.

I also tinkered with the recipe to produce more flavor. This recipe is a great base for adding extras. I minced 3 garlic cloves and sautéed them with the onions while the lentils were cooking. I then added a can of diced tomatoes, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and sliced smoked sausage along with the cumin, salt and pepper. For additional bulk, nutrition and taste, I also added a cup or so of cooked, shelled edamame. To brighten everything, I squeezed 1/2 a lemon into the pot at the end. So delicious, all 3 of our kids loved it!

This was delicious and easy to make! I added some potatoes to the lentils. I sauteed the onions and garlic before adding to bring out the flavor. I also cooked the sausages before adding for the last 15 minutes. I used vegetable stock and extra chili powder. Top it off with a dollop of sour cream. YUM!

Very bland. Doubled the recipe and served it over rice. Also had to add more water to the lentils (after I had already doubled it anyway). Maybe some more seasonings next time? My husband had to add quite a bit more s&p to his serving.

I love this easy, simple but delicious recipe, but with a few substitutions. I first saute the onion, and I use a whole onion, sauteed in a little bit of olive oil. My boys prefer a Turkey Italian Sausage that I remove from the casing and precook with the onions once they have softened and turned opaque. Trader Joes carries precooked lentils. Perfect for this working mom! Depending on what I have open, I either simmer with white wine or chicken broth. The cumin is bonus flavor for me. I enjoy it, but I know that some people don't. This dish is still tasty without it if you have picky eaters!

I doubled up on the Cumin as my dish seemed to lack taste.

I found this recipe somewhere else and have been making this for ages. I absolutely love it as I am a cumin lover. I use canned lentils to speed up the process and serve over rice.

I grew up eating lentils and this recipe was very simple to make. Loved it!

As is, this recipe is quite bland. I didn't use chicken or beef stock. Instead I used about 4 cups of water, half an onion - diced & sautéed, a few cloves of diced garlic, two cooked slices of bacon, and a ton of cumin, curry powder, old bay, salt, & pepper. I let the lentils boil, then simmer for about 20 minutes.... all in all, it came out well but how far off does the recipe used have to differ from the original recipe for it to be a whole new recipe ? lol

Very quick & delicious. I added a bunch of garlic, 2 cubes beef bouillon, a few veggies, and some spices.

I used chicken broth in place of water, and added 2 thinly sliced carrots while the lentils and onions were cooking. I used 14oz of Andoullie sausage instead of Polish and added a can of diced tomatoes, undrained. I also added about 3/4-1tsp of garlic salt and 3/4-1tsp gram masala and then 1/2-3/4 tsp of curry powder to the seasonings. Delicious :)

Super easy and yummy. I added chicken bouillon cubes to the dish and it came out too salty. Next time I will use low sodium prepared chicken stock instead of water. This dish doesn't look appetizing but tastes good.

Sort of tastes like my Grandma's ham and bean soup, which isn't a bad thing. But it just didn't taste GREAT. The sausage was good, and the rest wasn't bad. It makes a LOT which is a problem for my family of 2 and a toddler. But my picky toddler ate it up, so it must not be too bad! Thanks for the unique recipe!

I loved it, it's really simple and very tasty. I've never added cumin before to lentils so it gave it a little extra flavor. I added a little bit more water just because I like lentils really soupy.

I used Keilbasa and put chunked garlic in with the lentils. Aslo used twice the amount of cumin. My family loved it - quick, easy and tasty!

I was just using this recipe as a guide an md modified it quite a bit. I cooked the onions and bratwurst sausage meat (removed casing) until everything was slightly brown. Added the lentils and a combo of chicken stock and water that totaled 3cups, and cooked in low heat for 20-ish minutes.