Recipe by Chef Erin Eastland
Photos by Amy Sheridan
Our La Valletta Umbrian Lentils from Colfiorito are grown organically by a small family operation. Small and delicate with a nutty, almost buttery flavor, these lentils are perfect for your traditional Italian recipes. Thought to bring good luck, good fortune and money for the coming year when eaten on New Year’s Eve, they are just as delicious for any day of the year. We love them instead of the French variety in all our lentil recipes. This Stewed Lentils Recipe with Roasted Cipollini Onions, Greens and Sausage is perfect for making on Sunday and warming during the week for a hearty dinner.
Stewed Lentils with Roasted Cipollini Onions, Greens, and Sausage
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour, 20 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 500g bag Umbrian lentils
- 1 cup each small dice onion, fennel & carrot
- 4 cloves garlic, quartered
- 8 links spicy Italian sausage
- 8-10 cups chicken stock, homemade if possible
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 lb. prosciutto butt or ham hock
- 1 lb. seasonal greens
- 20 cipollini onions, peeled
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- Add olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat.
- Add prosciutto butt, onion, fennel & carrot and sauté till soft, about 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, pick through the lentils to check for any tiny rocks or foreign objects.
- Rinse lentils in cold water.
- Add garlic to veggies and sauté another 5 minutes.
- Add lentils and stir, cook for another couple minutes.
- Deglaze with wine.
- Cook out wine and add 8 cups chicken stock and bay leaves.
- Let cook until the lentils are soft and stew thickens, adding more stock if necessary.
- Season accordingly.
- In a medium pot, boil 8 cups water and blanch the peeled cipollini onions for 3 minutes.
- Transfer onions to an oven safe sauté pan or small baking dish and coat with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Roast till they are golden brown and soft all the way through.
- Set aside.
- Rinse greens and cut or rip into bite sized pieces.
- Once lentils are cooked and stew is a thick consistency, add greens.
- Season and cook another 10 minutes.
- Pierce sausages about 5 times all over with a paring knife.
- In a medium hot sauté pan, add sausages and brown all over.
- Transfer sausages to oven about 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.
- Add cipollinis half way through to reheat.
Serve lentils in a shallow bowl with cipollinis and sausages on top.
Happy cooking,
Erin
