Spicy Lentils with Vegetarian Sausages

Ingredients

• 8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb 2 oz/500 g sliced vegetarian or vegan sausages (or soy or mushroom chorizo)
• 1 cup (4 oz/115 g) minced onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup (2 oz/60 g) diced carrot
• 2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 cups (14 oz/400 g) brown lentils
• 6 cups (2½ pints/1.5 litres) vegetable stock
• 11⁄4 cups (2¾ oz/75 g) panko or 1 cup (2¾ oz/75 g) fresh breadcrumbs
• ½ cup (¾ oz/20 g) finely chopped parsley
• sea salt and black pepper

To serve

• 1 cup (9 fl oz/250 ml) spicy sauce or salsa of your choice
• baguette, sliced and grilled

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 1.

Put the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Once soft, drain and cut them into julienne.

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole and fry the sausages (or chorizo) until golden. Remove from the casserole, reserving the released fat in a small bowl, and add the onion, garlic, carrot, and chiles in their sauce, and sauté until soft. Add the cumin, paprika, lentils, sausages, sun-dried tomatoes and stock. Stir to mix, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes until the lentils are cooked.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the panko or breadcrumbs, parsley, and reserved sausage or chorizo fat, and sprinkle evenly over the lentils. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until browned and crispy on top.

Serve with hot sauce or salsa, and grilled baguette slices

Chef’s tip: Instead of baking in the oven, you can cook this dish, covered, on the stovetop, then finish it under the broiler (grill) to crisp the top.