1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 medium carrot chopped
1/2 a cup of chopped okra
1 small green bell pepper chopped
1 jalapeño deseeded and minced (optional)
2-3 big tomatoes chopped
1 cup of uncooked lentils or 2 cups cooked lentils
8 oz. of ground sausage (I used spicy italian)
1 tsp of fennel seeds crushed
1-2 bayleaves (dried)
1/2-1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup each of chopped cilantro and scallions divided
Salt and black pepper to taste
Sauté onions, garlic, carrots and bell peppers till onions turn pink. About 5-6 minutes. Add the crumbled up sausage and brown thoroughly. Add the okra and the tomatoes and mix well. Add the lentils and the spices and mix well. Add 1-1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes (if using cooked lentils) or about 35-40 minutes (uncooked lentils) on medium heat to cook the lentils
and sausage all the way through. Adjust seasonings. Add the cilantro and scallions and mix well. Remove the bayleaves. Serve with extra cilantro and scallions.