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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Main Dish

    Lentils with Sausage and Kale

    Published: Mar 1, 2021 ยท Updated: Mar 4, 2021 ยท Post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Lentils with Sausage and Kale is a spicy, satisfying, and incredibly delicious one-pot stew that is great for leftovers.

    white bowl of lentils and sausage on a wooden table
    • About Lentils with Sausage
      • Ingredients
        • Cost of Recipe
    • How to Make Lentils with Sausage
    • Recipe Tips
      • Variations
        • Ingredient Options
        • Alternative Prep & Cooking
        • How to Make Allergy Friendly
      • Make Ahead Ideas
      • Storage Suggestions
    • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Nutrition Benefits
      • What to Serve with Lentils with Sausage and Kale

    About Lentils with Sausage

    This recipe is one I think about regularly. In fact, if I had to pick favorite recipes from the 700+ options on my blog, this would make the top 10!

    The sausage and jalapeño add a spicy hint but the veggies & lentils help mellow out the flavor. Lemon juice at the end really brightens the dish, so I highly recommend it.

    This Lentils with Sausage and Kale dish will become your new favorite meal.

    Spicy, tasty, and incredibly satisfying thanks to all the fiber from the lentils and veggies. There's just enough sausage to give that spicy sausage flavor but not too much.

    It's simple enough. Brown the sausage, sauté the veggies, then add in your broth & lentils and cook for a little while.

    When the broth has all but absorbed, stir in the kale and cooked sausage. And yum!

    This dish is filling & flavorful. The bonus is that it gets even better as it sits in your fridge, so it's great for making ahead of time or for leftovers. Plus, it freezes well.

    celery, carrots, garlic, sausage, lemon, bay leaf, onion, kale, lentils, glass of water, salt, parsley with text overlay

    Ingredients

    Sausage: I like using the link sausage, but ground sausage will work just as well. I typically buy chicken sausage because it isn't as rich, but you can certainly use pork sausage. A flavored sausage will also be fine; I like the andouille chicken sausage.

    Veggies: The veggies used (other than kale) are onions, carrots, and celery. Any kind of onion is fine, and you can substitute one of the veggies for a bell pepper if desired. Honestly, you don't really taste any of these veggies because they kind of melt into the sauce.

    Seasoning: Garlic, jalapeño, a bay leaf, and salt are all you need to season this lentils with sausage dish. Garlic powder and red pepper flakes can be used in their place. I'm a big fan of bay leaves because it adds a layer that you can't really find in other spices, but you can skip it if needed. You can also add fresh parsley or cilantro at the end, but that's completely optional.

    Kale: Admittedly, kale isn't my favorite. I like to use lacinato (or dinosaur kale or tuscan kale) because it has a less intense kale-flavor. However, you can use any type of kale because the sausage, other veggies, and jalapeño give this tons of flavor that the kale flavor isn't very strong. Another option is to use another type of fresh green that you like (ex: collard greens).

    Lentils: I prefer using green lentils since they hold up a little better than red lentils. If you only have red lentils, they will work. But you might want to be cautious not to cook this for too long or your lentils will have a softer texture.

    Broth: Any broth (vegetable, beef, or chicken) is fine, and water works equally well.

    Lemon: I love the fresh lemon at the end, but when I made this for my family, my niece preferred it without lemon. Totally up to you.

    Cost of Recipe

    • sausage 8 ounces: $3.36
    • onion 1 medium: $0.50
    • carrots 1 large: $0.20
    • celery 2 stalks: $0.28
    • jalapeño 1 small: $0.20
    • garlic 2 cloves: $0.12
    • salt ยผ teaspoon: $0.01
    • broth 4 cups: $2.14
    • lentils 1 ยฝ cups: $1.47
    • bay leaf 1: $0.10
    • kale 4 cups: $0.43
    • lemon juice 2 tablespoons: $0.25

    TOTAL COST: $9.06 or $2.27/serving (Based on San Diego Sprouts 2021)

    Note this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Be sure to scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.

    collage of steps with green pot: cooking sausage, sauteing carrots celery and onions, adding jalapeno and garlic, adding lentils salt and water, stirring in bay leaf, adding sausage and kale, stirring together, serving in a white bowl

    How to Make Lentils with Sausage

    Time needed: 55 minutes.

    Preparing Lentils with Sausage and Kale is very simple and made in one pot.

    1. Brown the sausage in the pot.

      Remove and set aside. If there is a lot of grease, wipe some out. No need to scrape out any bits of sausage that are on the bottom of the pot. This will give it flavor.

    2. Sauté the veggies in the pot.

    3. Add the garlic and jalapeño.

      Stir for one minute.

    4. Stir in lentils, salt, and water.

    5. Add bay leaf, stir, and simmer.

    6. Add kale and cooked sausage.

    7. Stir and cook until kale wilts.

    8. Enjoy!

      green dutch oven on a gas stove top with lentils, sausage, kale, and a black spoon

    Recipe Tips

    Variations

    Ingredient Options

    Sausage: Any sausage will work. Using a flavored sausage will alter the flavor.

    Jalapeño: Use red pepper flakes in place of the jalapeño if needed. Start with ยฝ teaspoon and add more if desired.

    Garlic: Fresh garlic is preferred, but garlic powder is fine. Use ยฝ teaspoon garlic powder in place of the fresh.

    Alternative Prep & Cooking

    If you want this to be more like a stew, you can use 4 cups broth and add an extra 2 cups of water.

    How to Make Allergy Friendly

    This lentil sausage stew is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and egg-free (make sure the sausage you buy is free of these ingredients if needed).

    white table with white bowl filled with lentils and sauage

    Make Ahead Ideas

    This is great to make ahead of time because it's similar to a stew or soup where the longer it has time to sit together, the better it gets. Prepare as directed and reheat when ready to enjoy.

    Storage Suggestions

    Keep this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or up to 4 weeks in the freezer.

    white table with blue pot with lentil and sausage stew with blue spoon

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Nutrition Benefits

    This Lentils with Sausage and Kale dish is delicious and full of nutrients like vitamins A and C, calcium, and iron. The lentils give you a hefty dose of fiber, and when combined with the sausage, you get a nice amount of protein to keep you full and satisfied.

    One of my favorite parts of this lentil sausage stew dish is that it has tons of vegetables, like kale, onions, and garlic, giving this dish antioxidants and phytochemicals that help you feel good from the inside out.

    white bowl with lentils and sausage with garlic, carrots, onions, lemon, kale, celery and lentils on white table

    What to Serve with Lentils with Sausage and Kale

    This is really a complete meal in one thanks to the copious amount of veggies. It's quite filling, but if you feel like it needs a side, you can serve with a slice of bread or cornbread.

    Final thoughts:

    Ever find a recipe and think "oh that looks ok..." but then it turns out AMAZING?

    This is that recipe. Trying to find a use for the leftover sausage in my fridge to pair with the random pantry ingredients I have (lentils or beans or something like that), I found this recipe from Serious Eats. And whew am I glad I tried it!

    The fact that it's made it one pot really sold me because cooking everything in one pot makes life much easier. And then this lentils sausage kale dish turned out to be absolutely perfect. HIGHLY recommend!

    MORE LENTIL RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:

    • Lentil Chili
    • Instant Pot Lentil Curry
    • Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad
    • Salsa Lentil Soup
    • Caprese Lentil Salad

    white bowl of lentils and sausage on a wooden table

    Lentils with Sausage and Kale

    Lentils with Sausage and Kale is a spicy, satisfying, and incredibly delicious one pot meal that will fill you up with goodness.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Author: Meme
    Total Cost: $9.06 or $2.27/serving

    Ingredients

    • 8 ounces sausage sliced
    • 1 ยผ cup onions diced (1 medium)
    • 1 cup carrots diced (1 large)
    • 1 cup celery diced (2 stalks)
    • 2 tablespoon jalapeño minced (1 small)
    • 2 teaspoon garlic minced (2 cloves)
    • ยผ teaspoon salt
    • 3 ยพ cups no salt added chicken broth
    • 1 ยฝ cups lentils rinsed & sorted
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 4 cups kale chopped (โ…“ bunch)
    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice ยฝ lemon
    • 2 tablespoon parsley for serving

    Instructions

    • Heat a pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook for about 5-7 minutes until browned. Flip and brown the other side. Transfer to a plate, and set aside.
    • Add diced onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté veggies until softened for about 5 minutes. Stir in jalapeño and garlic, and sauté for 1 minute. Add salt, chicken broth, lentils, and bay leaf. Stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and simmer for 30 minutes.
    • When almost all of the liquid has absorbed and the lentils are softened, stir in kale & reserved sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes until kale wilts and the liquid has been mostly absorbed. Remove bay leaf and stir in lemon juice. Serve with parsley and extra lemon if desired.

    Notes

    *Feel free to add an extra ยผ cup broth if needed.
    *If you want this to be more like a stew, you can use 4 cups broth and add an extra 2 cups of water.
    *My niece loved this without lemon. I prefer adding the lemon, but it's completely up to you.

    What to Use in This Recipe

    red spoon
    Spoon
    Dutch Oven
    Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

    [showhide type="post" more_text="Click here for Lentils with Sausage Nutrition Facts" less_text="Clear Nutrition Facts"]
    *

    Nutrition Facts
    Lentils with Sausage and Kale
    Serving Size
     
    1.75 cup
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    454
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    7
    g
    11
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    1
    g
    6
    %
    Cholesterol
     
    42
    mg
    14
    %
    Potassium
     
    1630
    mg
    47
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    62
    g
    21
    %
    Fiber
     
    24
    g
    100
    %
    Sugar
     
    6
    g
    7
    %
    Protein
     
    37
    g
    74
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    12455
    IU
    249
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    107.7
    mg
    131
    %
    Calcium
     
    198
    mg
    20
    %
    Iron
     
    8
    mg
    44
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    *
    [/showhide]

    Meme

    This post was originally published April 20, 2016. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.

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    Comments

    1. Jen @ Pretty Little Grub says

      April 21, 2016 at 9:10 am

      This recipe is SO up my alley, I can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    2. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      April 26, 2016 at 3:05 pm

      Fabulous! I have so much chicken sausage in the freezer with nothing to do with it!

      Reply

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    Meme (a brunette female) is holding umbrella and spinning around in front of the Eiffel Tower wearing a denim jacket, skirt, and blue shoesHi, I'm Meme, a thirty-something registered dietitian nutritionist from Alabama living in San Diego. Here to help you enjoy food, feel better in your body at any size, and live free of diets & shame.
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