weeknight dinner: sausage, lentil and rapini stew (csa week 11)

those who know me and my food tastes know that i'm not so much of a stew person. so when a csa recipe popped up on my google reader that looked delicious and just happened to be a stew, i decided that i had to go for it. it also seemed like the perfect use for my giant bunch of broccoli rabe from csa.

my first instinct was that the recipe didn't have quite enough garlic, shallots and/or other flavor kickers. i almost wish i had supplemented but after a couple of days the stew developed more of its own flavor (as stews often do, i'm told). so here's to my first ever stew! next time, i still would sautee the greens with garlic before adding them...and might use chicken stock instead of the veggie stock.

greenpoint-williamsburg csa's sausage, lentil and rapini stew

• 1 lb. sausage, sliced into quarter inch rounds (i used turkey sausage)
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup lentils
• 2-4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe (rapini), chopped, stems and leaves separate
• salt and pepper

• cook sausage in a large pot until browned, then remove sausage with a slotted spoon, leaving fat in pot, and set sausage aside.
• cook onion in the sausage fat until translucent. add sliced carrots and broccoli rabe stems, and cook briefly, about 2 minutes.
  
• add lentils and 2 cups vegetable broth, cover and lower heat.
  
• simmer for about 15-20 minutes, until lentils and carrots are tender (add more vegetable broth if needed), then add sausage and the broccoli rabe leaves.
  
• cover and simmer about 5 minutes, or until leaves are wilted.
  
• season with salt and pepper to taste.