Smoked Sausage & Lentil Gumbo
Submitted by tashana
Cajun-style gumbo built on a dark red-brown roux with smoked sausage, lentils, carrots, celery, and a kick of cayenne. Thick, smoky, and protein-packed in 75 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
60 minREADY
75 minThis gumbo swaps okra for lentils and doesn’t apologize for it. The lentils break down just enough to thicken the broth into something rich and velvety while still holding their shape.
It all starts with a proper dark roux, cooked until it turns red-brown and smells like toasted nuts. That’s the soul of the dish right there.
Browned smoked sausage, celery, garlic, onions, and carrots build the aromatic base, then everything simmers in two quarts of chicken broth with Worcestershire, black pepper, and cayenne until the lentils are soft and the flavors have melded into something deeply satisfying.
Pro Tips
- Stir the roux constantly for the full 10 minutes. Walk away for even a moment and it scorches, and burnt roux means starting over from scratch.
- Brown the sausage first, then use the rendered drippings as part of your roux fat. It adds another layer of smoky flavor to the base.
- The lentils thicken the gumbo as they cook. If you want a thinner consistency, add a splash more broth in the last 10 minutes.
Ingredients
Directions
In a 5 to 7 quart pan, over medium heat, cook sausage, stirring until brown.
Spoon from pan; reserve.
Add oil to drippings in pan to make ⅓ cup fat.
Add flour; stir until mixture is red brown, about 10 minutes.
Add celery, garlic, onion, and carrots; cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add reserved sausage, chicken broth, lentils, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and cayenne.
Bring to boiling over high heat; reduce to simmer, cover and cook until lentils are soft when pressed, about 40 minutes.
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