French Lentils

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Lentils are, I think, one of my very favorite foods.  They are wonderfully nutritious, simple to cook, and I love their earthy, somewhat sweet taste.  I sometimes crave them.  They are my go-to meal when I don’t have a lot of time to cook and I don’t know what else to prepare for dinner.  There are different kinds of lentils, which can be used interchangeably in recipes but which have distinct characteristics.  Red lentils become very soft when you cook them.  Brown lentils also turn soft, but maintain their shape better than red lentils.  French lentils, which are tiny and black, are the firmest in texture.  This is how I cooked them the other night, using ingredients that I had on hand. The dish is succulent, simple, and oh! so good for you.  

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup French (black) lentils, rinsed
1 cup chicken broth
2 cups water
1 tsp. herbs de Provence
1 TBS tomato paste
¼ tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat.  Saute onions until translucent.  Add carrots and celery and stir.  Add lentils, broth, water,  herbs de Provence, and tomato paste.  Stir and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  Serves 4.  

2 Comments

  1. Hi Wendy

    These look delicious!

    Rina

     
  2. delicious!

     

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