Cumin-Scented Lentils With Sausage and Dandelion Greens Recipe

Bloom your cumin seeds to build a deeply flavored base for this hearty but light dinner of saucy lentils and sausage.

By
Sasha Marx
Sasha Marx
Senior Culinary Editor
Sasha is a senior culinary editor at Serious Eats. He has over a decade of professional cooking experience, having worked his way up through a number of highly regarded and award-winning restaurant kitchens, followed by years spent in test kitchens for food publications.
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Updated March 19, 2020
20190515-cumin-lentil-sausage-vicky-wasik-10
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Blooming cumin seeds in hot oil releases their earthy aroma.
  • This one-pan meal uses a couple of classic ingredient combinations—cumin and lentils, as well as lentils with sausage—to create a hearty, and simple weeknight recipe.

For a simple, one-pan weeknight dinner recipe, we simmer green lentils with earthy toasted cumin seeds, tomatoes, and chicken stock. Paired with meaty sausage, it delivers a sweet heat that's balanced by a last-minute addition of bitter wilted dandelion greens.

Recipe Details

Cumin-Scented Lentils With Sausage and Dandelion Greens Recipe

Active 20 mins
Total 45 mins
Serves 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pound (450g) fresh sausage links, such as merguez or chorizo

  • 2 teaspoons (6g) whole cumin seeds

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped

  • Kosher salt

  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 cup (7 ounces; 200g) French Le Puy Lentils, rinsed and picked over for stones

  • 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

  • 3 cups (710ml) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium, store-bought broth

  • 1 bunch (about 6 ounces; 170g) dandelion greens, cut into 3-inch pieces

  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) sherry vinegar

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

  1. In a large, straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Transfer sausages to a plate and set aside.

  2. Add cumin seeds to the pan and cook, swirling and stirring constantly until cumin is aromatic and lightly golden, about 30 seconds. Add onion and a generous pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not brown, about 10 minutes.

  3. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Stir in lentils, tomatoes, chicken stock, and a healthy pinch of salt. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium-high and simmer lentils, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lentils are mostly tender and cooking liquid has reduced to a stew-like consistency, about 20 minutes.

  4. Stir in dandelion greens and cook until lightly wilted, about 1 minute. Return sausages to the skillet, nestling them into the lentils so that they are mostly submerged. Cover the pan, and cook until sausages register an internal temperature of 150°F (65.5°C), 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in sherry vinegar, and season to taste with salt. Portion into individual serving bowls, and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

Special Equipment

Straight-sided sauté pan or Dutch oven

Make-Ahead and Storage

This dish can be made in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently before serving.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
607Calories
35gFat
32gCarbs
43gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories607
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g45%
Saturated Fat 12g62%
Cholesterol 120mg40%
Sodium 492mg21%
Total Carbohydrate 32g12%
Dietary Fiber 9g33%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 43g
Vitamin C 48mg238%
Calcium 169mg13%
Iron 7mg41%
Potassium 1524mg32%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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