Lentils with Chicken Sausage

Lentils with Chicken Sausage (Adapted from Food and Wine)

1 cup French green lentils
4 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
salt and fresh ground black pepper
12 ounces (precooked) chicken sausages
1 large onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

In a medium saucepan, combine lentils and broth. Cover and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, place carrot, celery, quartered onion and garlic into a food processor - pulse finely chopped.

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add vegetables and thyme - cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Scoop mixture into the pot with the lentils - re-cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in spinach - season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

Meanwhile, wipe out skillet and heat remaining tablespoon of oil. Add sausages and onion wedges - cook, turning occasionally, until the onions are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and transfer sausages to a cutting board to cool slightly. Thickly slice the sausages on the diagonal. Stir sliced sausages, onions and any accumulated juices into the lentils to serve, removing thyme sprigs as you seen them.

Makes about 4 servings.

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