Lentils with Red Cabbage and Spicy Sausage

This recipe is on the table in less than an hour, is packed full of flavour, can quite easily be turned into a vegetarian/vegan meal and is a great recipe to introduce carnivores to lentils.

2 Cups Green Lentils             2Tbls Veg Oil

2 Onions                               2 Cloves of Garlic

1 Bay Leaf                            600 ml of Chicken Stock (Vegetable for non meat eaters)

Salt and Pepper                     6 Spicy Sausages or 4 Chorizo Sausages

100 ml Olive Oil                    50 ml Tarragon Vinegar (or other good quality vinegar)

1 Tbls Dijon Mustard             1/4 Red Cabbage

2 tsp Sugar                            3 Handfuls of Flat Leaf Parsley

2 Handfuls Mint Leaves

Put the lentils in a medium saucepan and cover with water.  Simmer for 5 minutes then drain.

Heat veg oil in a heavy based pan and add diced onion, bay leaf and finely diced garlic.  Cook for 3 mins on a high heat stirring frequently then tip out of the pan and put the pan back on the heat.

Slice the sausages into slices on the diagonal and add to the pan.  Cook till browned then add the onion mix and drained lentils to the pan as well as the stock.  Simmer for 15 mins and season with pepper.  Taste before adding salt as it may be salty enough from the sausages.

While the lentil mix is cooking finely slice the cabbage and place in a bowl.  Sprinkle the sugar and a pinch of salt over the cabbage and scrunch with your hands then leave to sit for 10 mins.

Chop the mint and parsley and add to the cabbage.  Make the dressing with the olive oil, vinegar and mustard and pour half over the cabbage after it has sat for 10 mins.

Spoon the cabbage and herb mix onto plates and the spoon the lentil mix on top.  Spoon over the rest of the dressing mix and serve.



Simmer and Drain the Lentils




Brown the Sausages




All in and on the stove




Tarragon Vinegar really makes the dressing




Cabbage after being scrunched up.




Chopping the Herbs




The finished product

NB
If making this without sausages you can add 1 tsp of paprika and 1/4 tsp of chilli powder to the lentil mix to add additional flavour if required.
The Tarragon Vinegar is really worth spending the money on.