Transform everyday lentils into delicious sausages with this easy and fun recipe to get your creative juices flowing. What’s neat about this recipe is that you can vary the herbs and spices to match the flavor profile you want. For example, make them Italian-style with oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil, or opt for breakfast-style, with sliced apples, maple, and fennel seed. With so many tantalizing ways to use these savory lentils, we are sure this protein packed recipe will be a part of your weekly meal prep for sure!
Yields4 ServingsPrep Time15 minsCook Time30 minsTotal Time45 mins
Ingredients
2tbspchia seeds
¼tbspwater
1 ½cupslentils (cooked, brown or green (start with ¾ cup dry))
¾cuporganic rolled oats
½cupraw sunflower seeds (unsalted)
½cuponion (chopped)
3garlic cloves (minced)
1tbsporganic tomato paste
1tbsporganic tamari (reduced-sodium or coconut aminos)
1 ½tbspworcestershire sauce (vegan)
½tspliquid smoke (optional)
2tsponion powder
1 ½tspsmoked paprika
1tsporegano
1tspground cumin
1tspfennel seeds
½tspsalt (optional)
¼tspground black pepper (optional)
¼tspcayenne (optional)
8pieces of parchment paper (cut into 6-inches x 4-inches)
8pieces of aluminum foil ((it won’t touch the food!) 6-inches x 4-inches)
Directions
1
In a small bowl, mix the ground chia seeds with ¼ cup of water and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
2
Add the oats and sunflower seeds to a food processor and blend until a meal-like consistency (not a flour-like consistency).
3
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until it forms a dough-like texture.
4
Scoop about ⅓ cup of the lentil mixture into clean washed hands. Roll 7–8 sausages with your hands and place on a clean plate. The sausages should be about 5-inches long and 1-inch around. If the mixture is sticky, simply add a little oat flour to your hands.
5
Wrap each sausage in parchment paper. Then, wrap the aluminum foil around the parchment paper and twist the ends, like a candy wrapper.
6
Place in a steamer basket or pot (I used a large pot with a sieve) and steam for 30 minutes.
7
Once steamed, you can serve immediately or you can bake or grill them on the stovetop for a crispy result!
8
Grill: Preheat a large stovetop pan over medium heat. Brush the sausages with a little oil on each side and add them to the pan. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally until browned and heated through.
9
Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake sausages for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Chef’s Notes
Substitutions Use other legumes in place of lentils like kidney beans, white beans, or black beans.
Instead of oatmeal try almond meal.
Use cashews in place of sunflower seeds.
Any type of onion will do — red, white, yellow, or shallots.
How to enjoy Serve them alongside your favorite savory breakfast.
Add them to an organic whole-grain bun to make a sausage sandwich.
Slice them and add to pasta sauce.
Toss them into a stir fry.
Enjoy as part of a grain bowl.
Storage Store lentil sausages in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings
Serving size
153g
Amount per serving
Calories303
% Daily Value *
Total Fat12g16%
Saturated Fat 1.2g6%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol0mg
Sodium132mg6%
Total Carbohydrate39g15%
Dietary Fiber 10g36%
Total Sugars 4g
Includes 0.8g Added Sugars2%
Protein14g
Calcium 105mg9%
Iron 5.7mg32%
Potassium 612mg14%
Vitamin D 0mcg0%
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Ingredients
2tbspchia seeds
¼tbspwater
1 ½cupslentils (cooked, brown or green (start with ¾ cup dry))
¾cuporganic rolled oats
½cupraw sunflower seeds (unsalted)
½cuponion (chopped)
3garlic cloves (minced)
1tbsporganic tomato paste
1tbsporganic tamari (reduced-sodium or coconut aminos)
1 ½tbspworcestershire sauce (vegan)
½tspliquid smoke (optional)
2tsponion powder
1 ½tspsmoked paprika
1tsporegano
1tspground cumin
1tspfennel seeds
½tspsalt (optional)
¼tspground black pepper (optional)
¼tspcayenne (optional)
8pieces of parchment paper (cut into 6-inches x 4-inches)
8pieces of aluminum foil ((it won’t touch the food!) 6-inches x 4-inches)
Directions
1
In a small bowl, mix the ground chia seeds with ¼ cup of water and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
2
Add the oats and sunflower seeds to a food processor and blend until a meal-like consistency (not a flour-like consistency).
3
Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and blend until it forms a dough-like texture.
4
Scoop about ⅓ cup of the lentil mixture into clean washed hands. Roll 7–8 sausages with your hands and place on a clean plate. The sausages should be about 5-inches long and 1-inch around. If the mixture is sticky, simply add a little oat flour to your hands.
5
Wrap each sausage in parchment paper. Then, wrap the aluminum foil around the parchment paper and twist the ends, like a candy wrapper.
6
Place in a steamer basket or pot (I used a large pot with a sieve) and steam for 30 minutes.
7
Once steamed, you can serve immediately or you can bake or grill them on the stovetop for a crispy result!
8
Grill: Preheat a large stovetop pan over medium heat. Brush the sausages with a little oil on each side and add them to the pan. Grill for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally until browned and heated through.
9
Bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake sausages for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
