Lentils are so easy to cook, very nutritious, and tasty as a soup or a side dish to meat and rice. These tiny beans just soak up flavour. Samantha reminded us of this basic recipe, which you can keep "vegetarian", or vary by adding small bits of ham or smoked meat, diced sweet potato, or lift the "heat" with a hot pepper.
Dried lentils, 2 cups
Garlic, 2 cloves crushed
Carrot, one, diced
Pumpkin, small piece peeled and diced
Celery, one stalk sliced
Thyme, sprig
Salt to taste
Pimentos, 2 or 3
Olive oil, 3 tablespoons
Rinse lentils and place in a deep pot with four to six cups of water - enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and allow the lentils to simmer until the beans are soft (about 45 - 60 minutes), adding water as needed to keep the beans covered. When the beans are soft, add seasoning and vegetables, salt to taste and olive oil. Continue to simmer for a while until all the flavours are released. Add a hot pepper in the last five minutes.
Dried lentils, 2 cups
Garlic, 2 cloves crushed
Carrot, one, diced
Pumpkin, small piece peeled and diced
Celery, one stalk sliced
Thyme, sprig
Salt to taste
Pimentos, 2 or 3
Olive oil, 3 tablespoons
Rinse lentils and place in a deep pot with four to six cups of water - enough water to cover. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and allow the lentils to simmer until the beans are soft (about 45 - 60 minutes), adding water as needed to keep the beans covered. When the beans are soft, add seasoning and vegetables, salt to taste and olive oil. Continue to simmer for a while until all the flavours are released. Add a hot pepper in the last five minutes.
Yes I agree, it's such a simple and tasty bean,.....I use lentils all the time in my minestrone soup, along with barley and buck wheat, with lots of carrots, zucchini and celery,.....the taste is so 'irony'
ReplyDeleteLentil is the best bean! Then, channa.
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