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Posts from the ‘Lentils’ Category

Mar 9

lentil bulgar

Lentil and Bulgur Wheat Soup by Lisa Cashman

Easy, healthy, inexpensive, satisfying…this soup is always a hit! The dried mint really makes this dish shine.

LENTIL AND BULGUR WHEAT SOUP

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1-2 carrots, finely chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons flour (whole wheat if you have it)

1/2 cup french lentils

1/2 cup bulgur (coarse or fine-both work)

6-7 cups of stock (chicken or veg)

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons dried mint flakes (can replace with dried oregano but mint is what makes this soup special)

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1-2 tsp red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like it)

Pinch cayenne to taste (optional)

1 lemon

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh radish, sliced into thin match sticks

good quality olive oil

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the onion until soft. Add the carrots and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Push vegetables to this side of the pot and add tomato paste. Allow to caramelize (but not burn) for a minute or two. Add the flour to the tomato paste and stir together constantly for another minute. Combine this mixture with the vegetables.

Add lentils, bulgur, stock, and salt. Stir to combine.

Cover and simmer until lentils are cooked (approximately 30 minutes). Add dried mint, thyme, red pepper flakes, and optional cayenne.

To serve, garnish with a squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of fresh parsley, slivered radish and a nice drizzle of good quality olive oil. (The lemon juice is a must!)

Serves 4 as a main.

Jan 4

red lentil
3 Comments

Red Lentil Soup

Red lentils are my favorite legume – they are far more delicate than other lentil varieties and their color is inspiring. In this soup they practically melt into the warm broth. I don’t know how many times I’ve made this delicious and incredibly nutritious dish – it’s a standard in our house. What I love so much about it is its versatility. Someone under the weather? An extra squeeze of lemon. Spinach on hand? Chop it up and in it goes. Nursing mom? Scale back the garlic. Any which way you make this it is a guaranteed winner and a healthy way to start the New Year.

RED LENTIL SOUP

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large Vidalia onion

4 garlic cloves, chopped

3 carrots, chopped into half-moons

3 ribs celery (leaves included), chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

pinch of salt

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 cup dried red lentils

6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock

2 teaspoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and cook the onion, stirring, until soft and golden, 5-8 minutes.

Add the garlic, carrots, celery, cumin, salt, optional cayenne pepper and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and lentils and cook for 1 minute more.

Add the stock, bring to a simmer, lower the heat and cook, covered, until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and chopped parsley. Season to taste.

Serves 4 as a main.

Jun 23

Kohlrabi

Indian Red Lentil and Kohlrabi Salad with Couscous (Week 4 CSA Recipe)

I love this recipe because it beautifully utilizes so much of this week’s CSA basket. This salad travels well and can be served cold or at room temperature.

2+1/2 tablespoons champagne or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons garam masala

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup finely minced garlic scapes* (about 3), divided

2/3 cup red lentils

1 cup thinly sliced greens** (packed)

1 medium kohlrabi bulb, peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice (about 1+1/2 cups)

1/3 cup plain couscous

1/4 cup raisins, rehydrated in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the vinegar and garam masala in a small bowl with a whisk. Stream in the olive oil and stir in a tablespoon of the minced garlic scapes. Set aside.

Cook the lentils and sliced greens in a pot of salted, boiling water until lentils are just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain into a sieve and rinse under cold water. Drain again, pressing the remaining water out with the back of a spoon.

In the same pot, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil and remove from the heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the dressing along with the couscous. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. When all of the water has been absorbed, spoon couscous into a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Allow to cool slightly.

To the bowl add the remaining garlic scapes, lentils and greens, and diced kohlrabi. Pour the reserved dressing over the top. Mix gently to combine. Season with sea salt and pepper and mix in the rehydrated raisins, if desired.

Serves 2 as a main course

*If garlic scapes are out of season you can substitute with pressed garlic and/or minced scallions.

**Kohlrabi leaves, spinach, beet greens… I used the Tat Soi from this week’s basket since my kohlrabi leaves were a bit past their prime by the time I made this.

Week 4 CSA: Spicy Mesclun Mix, Tat Soi, Kohlrabi, Parsley, Lettuce, Turnips, Garlic Scapes, Kale

Jun 6

Sausage and French Lentil Soup with Kale (Week 2 CSA Recipe)

My husband is German and Cuban, therefore pork is in residence year-round at our house. This soup is wonderful in the fall and winter, but when I saw the beautiful kale in this week’s CSA basket I knew I had an opportunity to make my husband very happy.

French lentils (dried, uncooked)

1 pound sweet italian sausage, casings removed

1 medium sweet onion (such as Vidalia), chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2/3 cup French lentils, picked through and rinsed

6 cups chicken stock

1 small bunch kale, trimmed of stems and center ribs (about 2 cups packed)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Place the sausage in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot (such as a dutch oven) and cook the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until nicely browned. Transfer the sausage bits with a slotted spoon to a paper towel. Pour off any excess fat from the pot so that only 1 tablespoon remains.

Cook the onion in the reserved fat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook until just golden, about 3 minutes more.

Return the sausage to be pot, along with the lentils and the chicken broth. Give it a nice stir, bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 1 hour until the lentils have softened*.

Add the chopped kale to the pot and allow to simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Remember the sausage contains seasonings so I suggest tasting before adding anything additional.)

*A note about French lentils: this variety of lentil retains more of its shape and texture than other lentils once cooked.

CSA Week 2 included Kale, Radishes (french breakfast), Mixed Greens/Salad Mix, Mustard Greens, Dill, Spinach, Chinese Cabbage, Romaine Lettuce (red & green), Mixed Bean Sprouts (lentil, mung, adzuki, garbanzo), Bok Choy & Spring Onions

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