‘Tis the season for stew, right? Namely, this lentil and sauerkraut stew (or soup) in my opinion. Somehow, it just feels right.
Last year I threw Mom’s ham and lentil soup at you because it’s just so darn good (which I also just made was reminded just how darn good), so this year I’m sharing with you its cousin, a lentil and sauerkraut stew. Similar, yet different enough that each is worth making, one not really an adequate substitute for the other.
This one I adapted from Marcus Samuelsson’s new book, The Red Rooster Cookbook. I wandered into a book signing a few weeks ago and had to buy it after I saw that he used both miso and shrimp powder in his bird broth. I figured if he could get that creative with chicken soup, the rest of the book, which details the story, life and times of Harlem in New York, probably packs the same punch. I was right.
Paging through the book, this lentil and sauerkraut stew immediately caught my eye because it reminded me so much of my Mom favorite, but added some dimension with sauerkraut (which I love), apples (also love) and beer (duh).
I only slightly modified his original recipe, mostly in quantities; 8 ham hocks seemed like a lot for little ole me, so I halved it and still ate for days. Good stuffs here, and so perfect for those upcoming days when all of us north of the Mason-Dixon are hunkered down for the long haul.
Winter is coming.
- 2 TB olive oil or butter
- 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp ground hot mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup IPA beer
- 2 TB apple cider vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 smoked ham hocks
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups packed collard greens or mustard greens
- 1/3 cup green lentils
- 1/2-3/4 cup bottled sauerkraut
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
- 1 TB honey
- In a Dutch oven, add 2 TB olive oil and add the onions, jalapeño, mustard powder, cumin and a pinch of salt, and cook until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.
- Pour in the stock, beer and vinegar. Add the bay and hocks. Turn the heat up to medium-high to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for one hour.
- Pour in the water and stir in the greens and lentils. Bring back to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Sir in the sauerkraut and apples and simmer until the lentils are cooked through and the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the honey.
- Divide evenly into 2-3 bowls and serve with a side of cornbread.
Written once the house was clean and the dishwasher emptied.
Mom and I are taking a much needed break from all the cooking (mom) and eating (me) and are heading to Disney for our annual post-Thanksgiving pilgrimage. See what we’re up to on instagram (#adventuresoftheHB; THBDoesDisney)!
Lentil and Sauerkraut Stew
Ingredients
- 2 TB olive oil or butter
- 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- 1 tsp ground hot mustard
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup IPA beer
- 2 TB apple cider vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 smoked ham hocks
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups packed collard greens or mustard greens
- 1/3 cup green lentils
- 1/2-3/4 cup bottled sauerkraut
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
- 1 TB honey
Directions
- Step 1 In a Dutch oven, add 2 TB olive oil and add the onions, jalapeño, mustard powder, cumin and a pinch of salt, and cook until the onion is soft, about 7 minutes.
- Step 2 Pour in the stock, beer and vinegar. Add the bay and hocks. Turn the heat up to medium-high to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer for one hour.
- Step 3 Pour in the water and stir in the greens and lentils. Bring back to a simmer and let cook uncovered for 30 minutes. Sir in the sauerkraut and apples and simmer until the lentils are cooked through and the apples are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the honey.
- Step 4 Divide evenly into 2-3 bowls and serve with a side of cornbread.
- Step 5 Adapted: Marcus Samuelsson and The Red Rooster Cookbook.
