Hot dogs and lentils are a match made in heaven and are also extremely cheap! You can keep it basic and use regular hot-dots, or get fancy ones from Kramarczuk’s or another meat market. I used their coarse-ground weiners with great results. Use green or brown lentils, not the red ones. I added orzo pasta to thicken it up, but you could also use rice or potatoes and adjust cooking time accordingly.
4 weiner links
1 c. green lentils
1 c. orzo pasta
1 qt. beef or ham broth
2 qt. water
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 medium carrots, diced
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 sage leaves, sliced (or 2 tsp. dried)
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. whole cumin seeds
1 tsp. dried coriander
2 Tbps. Crystal or Tobasco hot sauce
2 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. black pepper
handful of fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
salt to taste
Slice up the weiners and saute them in the oil in a heavy soup pot until they brown slightly on the edges. Add the onion and half of the celery and saute until the onions begin to cook through. Add the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and toss to coat. Add the broth, sage, bay leaves, and water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer 20 minutes.
Add the remaining celery and carrots and the orzo and increase the heat to boil the orzo, carrots, and lentils until just tender (~10 min). Add the hot sauce and parsley and adjust the seasonings to taste.
NoneMoreBlack pointed out that this recipe is similar to Cotechino con Lenticchie, an Italian dish traditionally served at New Year’s Eve. If you are somehow able to source the specialty cotechino sausage, please make the Italian recipe and tell me how it is!