lentil sausage recipe

the more you know

When I first ditched meat almost two decades ago, I really believed that I was giving up certain tastes and flavors for good. Sure, I made the sacrifice willingly, but it was also kind of depressing because I had some favorite foods that were now no longer an option. And initially, I did have to give up a lot as I tried to figure out how to live meat-free in a meat-saturated world. Over time, however, I learned something very valuable. Something which smashed my initial belief to smithereens. Something which erased my former depression and replaced it with sublime satisfaction (because I learned a secret). And that something is?

It usually is NOT the meat that gives the distinct flavors, but the spices, the herbs, and all of those tasty other things one can add to a recipe.

When I realized this, my menu expanded exponentially as I began experimenting with recipe after recipe. Some things took me forever to adjust, tweak, and figure out (like these guys), but I didn't give up until I'd nailed it. And after each success, I'd sit down at the dinner table and ask everyone what I should tackle next. What it was that they missed? Because I was hell-bent on finding/creating a worthy replacement. Turns out tacos are a breeze to replicate and chicken parmesan (now chickpea parmesan) is absolutely fabulous (including the texture), but one of my favorites? These lentil sausage patties that taste shockingly of... pig flesh. But without the, you know, murder. Don't you love situations where we all win?

They do require a little prep work (what doesn't in my world), but they are absolutely delectable. And just in case you don't believe me, I grew up on a farm. We slaughtered our own animals and until you've tasted farm-fresh sausage (and bacon), then you haven't really tasted it. So when I tell you they taste like a sausage patty, I mean it. Strangely enough, I think it might be the fennel seeds...? Probably the spice combination too, but definitely those little seeds are part of the secret sausage code.

I've committed to the preparation and made this lentil sausage recipe twice recently just because I've had a hankering, so I figured it was time to share them here with you. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do ♥

lentil sausage recipe

Ingredients

2 cups green lentils (soaked, uncooked)

1 onion (diced)

4 garlic cloves (crushed) or 1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 Medjool dates (chopped small)

1 cup rolled oats

4 tablespoons coconut aminos

4 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 teaspoons ground sage

2 teaspoons thyme

1 teaspoon ground rosemary

¼ cup nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1. Using a small coffee grinder, grind (separately) both the rolled oats and the fennel seeds into flour.

2. Drain and rinse the soaked lentils and add to a saucepan along with 4 cups of water. (If you haven’t soaked the lentils overnight, you’ll need to add another cup or so of water to cook thoroughly.) Into the same pot, add the diced onion, garlic, ground fennel seeds, sage, thyme, rosemary, dates, sea salt, and black pepper.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the lentils are soft and the water has been mostly absorbed (you don't want super dry lentils here). At this point, stir in the coconut aminos and cook for an additional several minutes.

4. Using a food processor, process the cooked lentils until mostly smooth. Add to a large mixing bowl along with the rolled oats and nutritional yeast. Stir until thoroughly combined. Let the mixture sit for several minutes until it’s both cool enough and thick enough to work with.

5. Using a ¼ cup, measure out and shape 15 patties. Spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Grill up in a dash of oil if desired.

notes

This is obviously a personal preference, but I've become a recent convert to French lentils. Absolutely adore the texture and taste, but any green or brown lentils should work perfectly fine in this recipe.

If you'd prefer some texture, you can grind only half of the cooked lentils in the food processor and leave the other half whole.

I personally like to first bake these for the 15 minutes, but then grill them up in a bit of olive of for that true sausage experience. In the same vein, I also love serving them with pancakes, but my girls prefer them over a pile of warm Basmati rice. I'm sure there are 101 ways to enjoy these delicious patties, but those are our two faves!

This makes a fairly large batch, but the baked patties freeze beautifully ♥

And that'll do it for today's cooking lesson ;) Have a super day, and I'll see you next time!

Much love,

Melinda