You know what’s great about lentils — other than they’re nutritious and incredibly cost efficient? What’s great is that they’re cooked up in no time. If you’re Southern, cooking up dried beans can conjure memories of needing as much as a couple of days to get things just right. But lentils? They might not be sparkly or come in marquis cuts, but lentils are true jewels for cooks who want healthy, affordable and satisfying meals in a hurry. Hustle up and try one of these recipes!
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large shallot, peeled and minced
- ½ cup lentils
- 2 cups chicken stock, divided
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup cooked saffron rice
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
- Place the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes. Add the lentils, 1¾ cups of the stock, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook 18–20 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the saffron rice, butter and the remaining stock. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the mixture has heated through, around 4 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper, if needed, and stir in the parsley. Serve warm.
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ¾ cup red lentils
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups arugula, divided
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound cooked large shrimp, deveined
- Place the stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the lentils and bay leaf. Cook 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf from the cooked lentils. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, place 2 cups of the arugula, garlic, Parmesan and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse to chop. Add the oil in a steady stream as the processor runs to reach the consistency of pesto. Stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Place the cooled lentils and the remaining arugula in a large mixing bowl, and add the contents of the food processor. Toss until evenly coated, and transfer to serving plates. Top evenly with the cooked shrimp, and serve.
- 1 cup peeled, chopped carrots
- 1 cup peeled, chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- ½ cup pecans
- ½ cup sunflower seeds
- 2½ cups cooked lentils, divided
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Place the carrots, onions, garlic, pecans and sunflower seeds in a food processor. Process until finely chopped, and transfer to a large bowl. Add half of the cooked lentils to the food processor, and pulse until they appear slightly mashed. Add to the bowl along with the remaining lentils.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano and salt.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs along with the tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl with vegetables and lentils, and stir everything together. Sprinkle in the flour a little at a time. If the mixture seems too wet, add more flour as needed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Form 8 individual patties.
- Place the oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. After 3 minutes, add the patties, and cook on each side about 5–6 minutes. Serve warm.
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups lentils
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups basmati rice
- 1 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro or mint
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish, and add the onions, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic and ginger. Saute for 2 minutes, then stir in the cumin, turmeric and coriander. Add the chicken, and sear for 3 minutes. Stir in the stock, lentils, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, and cover. Place in the oven, and cook 40 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the rice in a medium saucepan with 2⅓ cups of water or stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 13–15 minutes or until the rice is tender. Remove from the heat, and set aside.
- Stir together the yogurt and cilantro or mint. Place the rice on each warmed serving plate, and add the chicken mixture on top. Garnish with a dollop of the yogurt, and serve immediately.
- 2½ cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1½ cups lentils
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 small bay leaf
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Place the stock, lentils, salt, onions and bay leaf in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain in a fine-mesh colander. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
- Place in the bowl of a food processor, and add the butter. Allow to sit 10 minutes, then puree. Transfer to a bowl, and stir in the pepper, oregano, basil and cream. Blend well, and adjust the seasonings (particularly salt) as needed. Garnish with fresh parsley, and serve warm.
- 1 pound lentils
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup peanut oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
- Chopped fresh parsley
- Place the lentils in a large saucepan, and cover with cold water. Allow to soak for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Return the lentils to the saucepan, and add 6 cups of cold water, the stock, onion and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar and mustard. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly. Add the salt and pepper. Set aside.
- Drain the lentils, and discard the onion and garlic. Transfer to a serving bowl, and stir in the carrots, celery and shallots. Toss with the vinaigrette. Set aside for 1 hour before serving, garnished with the parsley.
Tips and tricks
- Lentils are very small, lens-shaped legumes.
- Strictly speaking, lentils are actually what is known as a pulse, which is the edible seed of a legume plant.
- Lentils are not sold fresh but instead are dried as soon as they ripen.
- Look for lentils in the dried bean aisle of the supermarket.
- You will find regular brown, red (smaller and rounder) and yellow. Each can be substituted for the other in recipes.
- If you use part of the package, transfer the remaining portion to an airtight container.
- Store lentils at room temperature.
- Nutritionally, they are a good source of phosphorous and iron and contain vitamins A and B.
Tammy Algood develops recipes for The Tennessee Magazine that feature farm-fresh Tennessee food. Those fresh, local ingredients will always add cleaner, more flavorful foods to your table. We recommend visiting local farms and farmers markets to find the freshest seasonal produce.
Reggie writes, “On a recent trip, we were served lobster butter as a bread spread, and it was delicious. Can you tell me how this is flavored because there were no obvious chunks of lobster in it?”
Reggie, you are correct that it doesn’t contain chunks of lobster meat. The delicacy is made by barely simmering butter with ground lobster shells. While still warm, it is strained into a container placed in ice water, which quickly sets the butter. While some use it in sauces, most use the butter as you enjoyed it.
Francis asks, “I am an avid reader of cookbooks even though my days of actual cooking are waning. In a recent read, there was a sentence about using a “liaison of your choice”
in the sauce recipe. Would you please explain this to me? I have never seen this terminology before. Many thanks!”
Francis, my guess is that is an older cookbook because that term is rarely used these days. Instead, you will more likely see it referred to as a binder. A liaison is merely a thickener that is used in soups or sauces. It can be arrowroot, cornstarch or even flour, but most recipes will specify the source and amount to use so the end result doesn’t become pasty or have a significant change in flavor.
Email your cooking questions to Tammy Algood: [email protected].
