Instructions

1. Rinse the lentils: Put the lentils in a strainer and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Let stand to drain while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
2. Brown the sausage: Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium heat (sauté mode in an electric pressure cooker) until the oil starts shimmering. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and crispy around on the edges, about 5 minutes. Move the sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving as much fat behind as possible.
3. Sauté the aromatics and toast the spices: Add the onion, carrot, celery, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pressure cooker. Sauté until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes, scraping any browned bits of sausage from the bottom of the pot into the onions.
4. Pressure cook the lentils: Add the lentils to the pot and stir into the aromatics, scraping the bottom of the pot again to loosen any browned onions. Stir in the browned sausage and any juices in the bowl. Pour in the liquid (chicken stock and water) and add the teaspoon of salt. Lock the lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes in an electric PC or 8 minutes in a stovetop PC. Let the pressure come down naturally, about 20 minutes.
5. Season and serve: Remove the lid from the pressure cooker. Taste the lentils for doneness and seasoning. If the lentils aren’t soft enough, simmer for another five minutes or so (don’t bring back to pressure – use simmer mode on the cooker or simmer on the stovetop). Add salt and pepper as necessary – when I use water or homemade chicken stock, I usually add another half teaspoon of sea salt. Serve.