Sausage, Lentil and Cabbage Stew – beer-braised sausages with chorizo, lentils and red cabbage – a simple, comforting stew that’s ideal for cold weather.
Sometimes the fridge looks barren even though it’s full of ingredients that just need a little imagination. If you have a couple of cabbages and some sausages, this stew is a perfect solution. Add a chunk of chorizo tucked away in the corner and you’ll have a hearty, flavourful one-pot meal: beer-braised sausages with chorizo, lentils and red cabbage.
I love braised red cabbage and often make it at Christmas. For this stew I kept the warming spices from that recipe — star anise, cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves — which complement the cabbage and sausages beautifully.
Leftover cranberry sauce adds a bright, tangy-sweet note, while lentils bulk out the dish and partner perfectly with the meaty flavours. If you prefer a vegetarian version, omit the chorizo and use vegetarian sausages instead.
This stew works well cooked in a shallow casserole or a heavy ovenproof pot; it can also be adapted for a slow cooker if you add the sausages toward the end. I used a lager to braise the dish — it brings a gentle acidity that lifts the cabbage and contrasts the richness of the sausages; you can substitute stock if you prefer.
Beer-braised sausages, lentils and red cabbage
Ingredients
- 6 pork sausages (at least 90% pork)
- 100 g cooking chorizo, casing removed, cut into small cubes
- 200 g dried lentils, rinsed
- 300 g red cabbage
- 200 g Chinese (Napa) cabbage
- 1 large leek, topped and tailed
- 1 large onion, peeled
- 2 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp cranberry sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp dried thyme or a sprig fresh thyme
- Pinch ground cloves
- 400 ml hot vegetable or chicken stock
- 330 ml lager beer
- 60 ml red wine vinegar
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Put the lentils in a saucepan, cover with cold water or stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Shred the cabbages, leek and onion with a food processor or chop them by hand.
- Heat a large casserole and dry-fry the chorizo until it releases its oils. Remove and set aside.
- Brown the sausages in the same pan until nicely coloured all over but not fully cooked. Set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with a splash of beer, scraping up any browned bits.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the shredded cabbage, leek and onion. Season with salt and pepper; they will cook down considerably.
- Stir in the star anise, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cranberry sauce, brown sugar, thyme and ground cloves.
- Add the stock, the remaining beer and the red wine vinegar and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover the casserole and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven, stir in the cooked chorizo and lentils. Add the sausages whole or cut on the diagonal into three pieces.
- Return to the oven uncovered for another 20–30 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through and the liquid has reduced.
- Serve sprinkled with plenty of chopped parsley.
