Tag: lentils

Lentil salad

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Boring name for an excellently punchy, hearty salad for a weekday evening supper. Also the perfect way to use up bits and bobs in the back of the fridge. Feel free to improvise around a theme!

  • 1 pouch beluga lentils or puy lentilas
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 red onion, cut into eighths
  • 2 large tomatoes, cut into chunks
  • 3 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
  • Handful of fresh parsley and mint, chopped
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • Handful of pumpkin seeds, toasted in a dry pan until they puff up
  • Red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Grill, bake or airfry the whole red pepper at high heat until blackened. Then peel the skin off, de-seed and slice into chunky squares
  2. Do the same with the onions, tossed with a smigden of oil and salt
  3. Then mix everything together and dress with oil and vinegar

The most delicious puy lentils

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Inspired by a trip to Duck and Waffle where I blissfully ate their incredible puy lentils with toasted buckwheat, spinach puree, sweet onion, organic yoghurt, miso and nasturtiums – accompanied by a spectacular view across London. This is 100% less fancy than that, but still delights with maximum flavour and deliciousness.

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely diced
  • 1 stick celery, finely diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 150g puy lentils
  • 350 ml veg stock
  • 1 tsp white miso
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • Handful chopped parsley
  • 100g baby spinach
  • Plain yoghurt
  1. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a saucepan over a medium heat
  2. Tip in the diced onion, carrot, celery and garlic, stir and cook until beginning to caramelise
  3. Add the puy lentils and stir in the stock and miso. Add the thyme and bay leaf
  4. Bring to the boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 mins until lentils are soft
  5. While the lentils cook, cook the sliced onion slowly in butter with a pinch of salt and sugar until golden brown
  6. When the lentils are soft, stir in the caramelised onions, red wine vinegar, spinach and parsley and heat through
  7. Serve with a spoonful of plain yoghurt on top. This is amazing alongside roast veg and/or roast chicken

Tomato lentil soup

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

The ideal accompaniment to a bonfire night outing, a chilly afternoon or a shivery dip in a river. Nourishing and tasty, it’ll warm your cockles.

  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 100g red lentils
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 500ml stock
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Squeeze of lemon
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Heat the oil, add the onions and cook for 5 mins until translucent
  2. Add the tomato puree, garlic, thyme, cumin and paprika and cook for 2 mins
  3. Rinse the lentils and add to the pan with the stock. Bring to the boil then cook for 20 mins stirring occasionally until lentils are soft
  4. Add tinned tomatoes and sugar. Cook for a further 10 mins
  5. Add lemon juice and season to taste

Coconut and tamarind dal

~ Sophie ~ Leave a comment

Also known as Sri Lankan masur dal. This recipe needs some slightly more obscure ingredients, but it’s so worth it if you can find them. You’ll end up with a bowl of fragrant, creamy, spiced, lentilly goodness. A veritable hug in a bowl. And quick enough from raw ingredients to eating that it makes a great weeknight dinner.

  • 200g red lentils, washed in cold water and drained
  • 1 heaped tbsp tamarind paste
  • 500ml water
  • 250ml coconut milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 3 tbsp veg oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
  • 2 small shallots, finely sliced
  • 8 fresh curry leaves
  • 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • Put the wet lentils, tamarind and water into a saucepan and bring to the boil
  • Reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until the lentils are soft, stirring occasionally. This can take anything from 20 mins to 45, as it depends on the age (and dryness) of the lentils. You may need to add more water if they are drying out but not yet soft
  • Add the coconut milk, salt, chilli flakes and turmeric and stir through
  • Simmer for 10 mins and then cover and turn the heat off
  • Heat a wok or small heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat and add the oil
  • When hot, add the shallots and garlic, stirring for 2 mins until lightly browned
  • Add the curry leaves, red chilli and ground coriander
  • Mix well and cook for another minute until everything is fragrant and sizzling
  • Tip this hot mixture straight into the dal and stir through

You can serve this as part of a larger array of dishes and it will not only hold its own, but impress on its own merit. But I like to eat this with some steaming basmati rice, in a bowl, with a spoon. Add in a G&T and The Great Pottery Throwdown on TV and this is the ultimate comfort food!