Braised Green Lentils with Root Vegetables
This is the plain pot of braised lentils that quietly feeds much of Europe, simmered with a fine dice of aromatics and a bay leaf and served as a side, a bed for roasted vegetables, or a supper on its own. It belongs to no single country: the French cook it with thyme, the Italians with a little tomato, the Germans with a splash of vinegar at the finish, and it is really all three at once. Two small technicalities do most of the work. Toast the tomato paste until it turns brick red for a savory depth no broth cube can match, and hold the vinegar until the lentils are cooked, since acid added early keeps the skins tough. It keeps and reheats beautifully, so it is worth cooking the full cup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Green lentils, rinsed
- 1 whole Carrots (cooking), fine dice
- 1 stalk Celery, fine dice
- 1 whole Yellow onions, fine dice
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste
- 2 wholes Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 tsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Sweat the onion, carrot, and celery in a splash of water until soft, about 8 minutes, adding water as it dries. This fine-diced base is the same mirepoix that underpins lentil dishes from France to Italy to Germany, and softening it slowly is where the depth begins.
- Push the vegetables aside, add the tomato paste to the bare pan, and let it fry in the moisture until it darkens to brick red. Toasting the paste turns it from sour and raw into something deep and savory, standing in for the meat stock these lentils would once have simmered in.
- Add the garlic, lentils, bay leaves, thyme, and bouillon, then pour in 3 cups (710 ml) water. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape. Green lentils are prized for staying intact, so stop while they have a little bite and have not collapsed.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the red-wine vinegar, parsley, and black pepper. Acid is added only at the end on purpose: vinegar early in the pot toughens the lentil skins, while a late splash keeps them soft and lifts the whole dish out of earthiness.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 210 calories, 13 g protein, 9 g fiber, 60 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
