Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Lentil Stew
This tasty recipe demonstrates my love for all fennel-flavored foods. The use of Italian sausage, a fennel bulb, fennel seed, and fresh tarragon has an aftertaste of licorice which I adore. They all come together in this lentil-based stew. Enriched at the end with heavy cream and optional herbaceous green Chartreuse.
8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound bulk Italian sausage, separated into ½-inch pieces
1 medium onion, small diced
1 fennel bulb, small diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups chicken broth (more if necessary)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 pound lentils, sorted, washed (about 2 ¼ cups)
½ cup heavy cream
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons green Chartreuse (optional)
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped (garnish)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the sausage and cook thoroughly. Add onions, fennel, and garlic. Sauté until softened, about four minutes. Add tarragon, fennel seeds, oregano, broth, salt, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer; cook covered until tender, about fifty minutes (time depends on age and type of lentil). Add more broth if it starts to run dry.
2. Stir in the cream. Taste, Think, Transform with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the optional Chartreuse. Serve hot, garnished with Italian parsley.
Italian Sausage, Fennel, and Lentil Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage, separated into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, small diced
- 1 fennel bulb, small diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 6 cups chicken broth (more if necessary)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 pound lentils, sorted, washed (about 2 ¼ cups)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons green Chartreuse (optional)
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped (garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven. Add the sausage and cook thoroughly. Add onions, fennel, and garlic. Sauté until softened, about four minutes. Add tarragon, fennel seeds, oregano, broth, salt, and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer; cook covered until tender, about fifty minutes (time depends on age and type of lentil). Add more broth if it starts to run dry.
- Stir in the cream. Taste, Think, Transform with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the optional Chartreuse. Serve hot, garnished with Italian parsley.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
350.87Fat (grams)
23.26Sat. Fat (grams)
9.52Carbs (grams)
18.09Fiber (grams)
5.37Net carbs
12.72Sugar (grams)
4.33Protein (grams)
18.09Sodium (milligrams)
1463.46Cholesterol (grams)
52.86The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.