Lentils cook up faster than most other dried beans and pulses, usually in 30 minutes or so without soaking. No wonder they’re favored by so many cultures. Here are four flavorful ways to use them.
We’re quickly becoming regulars at the recently reopened Johnny’s Grill in our Logan Square neighborhood. Besides great cocktails and elevated takes on standard diner fare, Johnny’s new chef/owner Sarah Jordan offers delicious surprises like an excellent fish & chips and a fragrant red lentil dal. The latter, a staple of Indian subcontinent cuisine, inspired this post.
Turkish Style Red Lentil Soup with Chard
Using the same red lentils, but with origins a continent away, this dish, pictured above, combines sweet Hungarian paprika, garlic, cayenne pepper, sumac, diced tomatoes with green chilies, chard and just a bit of lamb to create a lively, healthy, robust meal in a bowl. Recipe here.
Roasted Shrimp and Green Lentils
Shrimp roasted with garlic, scallions and tarragon tops French green lentils for a quick, satisfying, quintessentially French meal. This recipe is adapted from Wini Moranville’s excellent The Bonne Femme Cookbook: Simple, Splendid Food That French Women Cook Every Day. You’ll find the recipe—and a link to the cookbook—here.
Curried Lentils with Poached Eggs
A few years ago, while staying at the Ace Hotel in New York, we ate breakfast at The Breslin, April Bloomfield’s wonderful gastropub in the hotel. Here is Marion’s take on the lentils cooked with an international mix of spices and aromatics and topped with poached eggs she had there.
Hake with Lentils and Sage Mustard Butter
I am a sucker for French cooking, especially the simple recipes that bring out the best of each ingredient. In this take on the classic French recipe Saumon aux Lentilles, mild white-fleshed fish and sage stand in for salmon and tarragon. Here’s the recipe.
Love lentils! They’re quick to cook, have a terrific nutritional profile, and taste great. They pair particularly well with seafood and eggs — so glad to see 3 of your 4 recipes feature those. Thanks!
Oh, that top one is inspired. Not that the others aren’t, it’s just that I’m a red lentil dal lover.
We eat lentils at least once a week here in France, including artisanale Saucisses aux Lentilles right out of a jar – lentilles de Puy with Toulouse sausages, lardons, a bit of tomato paste, garlic, and bouillon de vollaille. Makes for a very quick dinner when we’re not inclined to cook, which is pretty rarely.
Will have to try them with salmon. Haven’t done that yet, but sounds really good.
Fantastic, thanks so much for this Terry. I’m a big fan of lentils and I’ve eaten some delicious versions in my time, but they’re my arch-enemy in the kitchen. I’m determined to crack the lentil-code though!
Thanks, everyone! Karin, Marion is hoping to take on red lentil dal here pretty soon. Stay tuned.
Mellen, your jarred Saucisses aux Lentilles has me intrigued. Don’t know if we can find that here, but now I may need to cook them!
Marc, hope you give one of these recipes a try. Lentils are fairly forgiving and cook easily.
Wow! How can lentils look so yummy? It’s really amazing to see such a diverse recipes of lentils which normally I don’t like to eat. Everyone must try these. Thanks for sharing for such a delecious post.