Braised Lentils with Polish Kielbasa and Cabbage

By Kath Dedon

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Carrie recommended this Braised Lentils with Polish Kielbasa and Cabbage to Laura, and she recommended it to me. With their good reviews in mind, I had to give it a try.

The recipe is from Carla Snyder’s excellent cookbook, One Pan, Two Plates. The subtitle is “More than 70 Complete Weeknight Meals for Two”. I love the idea of cooking an entire meal in one pan. Although each recipe is supposed to serve two, I find that the portions are so generous that there is usually enough to save some for my lunch. As someone who enjoys leftovers for lunch (or breakfast), I consider that a bonus.

Braised Lentils with Polish Kielbasa and Cabbage is a great recipe for cooler fall evenings. I’m sure we’ll enjoy it again soon!

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A meal in a pan!

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Braised Lentils with Polish Kielbasa and Cabbage

(Adapted from Carla Snyder’s recipe in One Pan, Two Plates)

(print the recipe)

Serves 2 – 3

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 cups (about 6 ounces/170g) thinly sliced cabbage

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

½ celery stalk, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup dry white wine (or apple juice)

¾ cup dried lentils

1¼ cups chicken broth (I used 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base in 1¼ cups water.)

8 oz./255 g Polish kielbasa, cut into bite-size pieces (I actually used Uli’s Smoked Bratwurst.)

2 teaspoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (Optional; I didn’t use it.)

1. Prep all of the ingredients so they are ready to go. (Chop the vegetables and sausage, measure the wine, lentils, and broth, etc.)

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the oil. Swirl it around and let it heat up.

3. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens a bit, about 1 minute.

4. Add the cabbage, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, salt, and a bit of pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened a bit, about 3 or 4 minutes.

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5. Add the wine and cook until most of the wine has evaporated.

6. Add the lentils, chicken broth and kielbasa, Stir so the lentils are submerged in the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 25 – 30 minutes, until the lentils are done.

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7. Serve and garnish with parsley, if desired.

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