This is one of the lunches I often cook, maybe once a week. It’s everything in one pot, meaning it’s easy to cook and wash; colourful, it uses 3 kinds of bell peppers; has lentils for good protein, and it doesn’t have too much meat.
A Few Tricks to Cook this One Pot Stew
- Use Frozen Sausages – I know sausage is a processed food and many health gurus would ban it. But I sometimes want some meaty flavour for the stew, yet I don’t want to handle raw meat due to ethics and more chance of being prone to bad bacteria. Frozen food comes in handy. Always ready in the freezer, cook at anytime you want.
- Always Have Bell Peppers in the Fridge – They are colourful, which means having different nutrient profiles, bell peppers can be stored in the fridge without almost changing for 1 week! Plus, when you bake them slowly in the oven, they are just wonderful and get sweeter.
- Have Lentils Ready in the Cupboard – I always have different lentils at home, since it’s a must for cooking Indian dal soup. Also, lentils offer a subtle sweetness to the stew which I like a lot.
- Short Pasta is Great for Stew – Because you can just stir it into the stew without cooking in another pot! Perfect for scooping as well. Just do some reverse calculations. Allow enough time for the pasta to cook before the stew is done.
- Cook More, Store for Leftover or Next Day’s Lunch Box – Double the ingredients and cook in one shot, to make sure you have ample leftover for your other busy day’s quick meal or lunch box.
Is Smoky Paprika Powder a MUST?
Absolutely NOT! You can substitute with normal paprika powder. Choose the one you like, sweet or hot. I happened to have an amazing pack of smoky paprika from Curry Boy which he bought from Budapest as a souvenir. It smells REALLY SMOKY, in a good way!
Now, let’s on to the easy recipe.
Ingredients
Serves: 3
- 5 frozen sausages (approx. 225 g) (I used this one)
- 1 each of yellow, red and green bell pepper, diced
- 70 g red split lentils
- 100 g short pasta (I used conchiglie)
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 thick stalk of celery, thinly sliced(optional)
- 700 ml boiling water
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika powder
- 1/2 tbsp smoky paprika powder
- 1 tsp salted vegetable bouillon powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- black pepper
- lemon juice
How to Make 【One Pot】Smoky Paprika Sausage and Lentils Stew
- Wash the lentils until the water is clear. Soak them for about an hour then drain.
- Heat some oil in a big pot, brown the sausages, onions and celery, about 10 minutes. Then add in the bell peppers and lentils, give them a stir.
- Add all the seasonings(except lemon juice), pour in the boiling water, and bring to the boil.
- After 5 minutes or so, also stir in the pasta. Let them cook for 12-14 minutes more, until the pasta is done (The lentils usually take 15-20 minutes).
- Have a texture test for the lentils and pasta to check if they’re well cooked. If you want a thicker sauce, cover the lid again and let it sit for 10 minutes or more. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice for a final touch. Serve hot.
More Hearty Stew Recipes
- Borlotti Beans and Sausages Stew
- 【A Humble Pot】Pork and Potato Miso Stew
- Kidney Beans Stew with IKEA Meatball
- Sicilian Style Eggplant Stew (Caponata)【One Pot】
- 【HK Style】Oyster Sauce Stew with Dry Shiitake and Bean Curd
- 【20 mins】Pumpkin and Tofu Miso Stew Vegan
- Greek-inspired Cauliflower Stew
