Sausage and Lentil Stew with Winter Root Vegetables

Warm up with this hardy and healthy winter stew!

Full of some fun and different ingredients, this winter stew comes together easily and is packed full of nutrition. A mix of sausage and lentil provides a protein rich base for the root vegetables to compliment. Parsnips, turnip and cabbage bring a different highlight from the usual stew vegetables and add an anti-oxidant rich profile along with a different flavour combo. To make this recipe vegetarian, simply replace the sausage with more lentils or consider using a vegetarian sausage instead.

Gluten free (if you choose gluten free sausages)
Dairy free (optional)
Refined sugar free (depending on your sausages)
Nut free
Optional vegan/vegetarian

Ingredients:

2 tbsp butter or cooking oil of choice, such as olive oil
4 Andouille sausages, cut into 1/2 inch rounds or use veggie sausages or omit all together and add more lentils
1 white/yellow onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced in rounds
2 parsnips, peeled and sliced into rounds, large rounds cut in half
2 potatoes, cubed
1 large turnip, cubed
2 cups red or green cabbage, finely sliced
1 cup green or brown lentils (not red lentils)
2 tsp whole fennel seeds
2 bay leaves
soup stock of choice such as veggie or chicken, amount will vary
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a soup pot, heat butter or oil over medium heat and add sausage rounds, onion, celery and carrots, sautéing until sausages are browned and vegetables are softening, about 5 minutes.
Add all other root vegetables and cabbage to soup pot then evenly cover the vegetables with soup stock then add 3 more cups of stock and bring to a boil.
Add lentils once boiling, along with fennel seeds and bay leaves, then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook until vegetables and lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.
Add additional salt and pepper to taste.