My own version of good luck lentils – first receipe gift of 2025

At Cibo & Vino Cookbook Club, we love honouring traditions while adding our own modern, healthy, and delicious twist.

Good luck lentils may not be my invention, but this recipe strikes the perfect balance. Think of the lentils as “jewels” representing prosperity, the richness of sausages as a nod to wealth, and vibrant seasonal vegetables tying it all together.

This recipe is the first of 12 special gifts I’ll be sharing with you in 2025—a heartfelt thank you for your continued support. Stay tuned for next month’s recipe!

In the meantime, I’d love to hear from you. Is there a specific recipe you’d like me to create? Or do you have questions about these good luck lentils? Let me know in the comments below.

I hope you enjoy this warm, comforting bowl of goodness as much as I do!

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My own version of good luck lentils

A traditional Italian dish for the New Year - with my own twist

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword fennel seed sausage, lentils

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 servings

Author Antonetta

Equipment

• 1 heavy base pan
• 1 frying pan

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 carrots finely chopped
• 2 cellery sticks finely chopped
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 dl red wine
• 250 g lentils I used coral lentils, which are cooked a lot faster than your regular lentils. They also make the dish a bit more creamy
• 5 dl boiling water
• 2 teaspoons vegetable broth
• 100 ml tomato sauce
• 4 fennel seed sausages cut into 1cm large pieces
• salt and pepper to season
• parsley chopped as garnish

Instructions

• Assemble the cut vegetables and gently roast them until soft in olive oil being careful not to burn them. This will take about 15 mins.
  
• Meanwhile fry the sausage pieces until nice and brown. There is no need to add any additional fat to the pan.
  
• Once the vegetables are nice and soft, add first the red wine and let this simmer for a while before adding the lentils.
  
• Next add the vegetable broth and water followed by the tomato sauce. Let the lentils simmer gently in the soup until they are nearly cooked. Season with salt and pepper.
  
• Lastly, add the fried pieces of sausage and let all amalgamate until the lentils are fully cooked and have absorbed most of the liquid. Depending on how soupy you would like this dish to be, you may wish to add additional liquid (be it red wine, broth or tomato sauce).
• Serve immediately with some chopped parsley and enjoy this warm bowl of goodness!