Moist Lentils: the simple and genuine traditional recipe





Enjoy a simple and genuine dish with our recipe for stewed lentils. This hearty and satisfying side dish is easy to prepare and can be served with any meat or fish main course. Soak dried lentils for 8 hours, then cook with a mixture of onion, celery, and carrots, seasoned with tomato puree and covered with hot vegetable broth. You can customize the flavor by adding herbs and spices. Perfect for family meals.

Lentils in a tomato sauce is a classic, comforting dish that’s easy to make and full of flavor. Perfect on its own with some crusty bread or as a satisfying side dish, this recipe can be paired with any main dish of meat or fish.

Moist Lentils are a simple and genuine dish that’s very easy to prepare. Great on their own, served with fragrant slices of homemade bread, they are also perfect as a satisfying and substantial side dish, paired with any meat or fish main course.

They are prepared in the classic way by soaking the lentils in cold water for 8 hours, flavoring them in a pan with a mixture of onion, celery, and carrots, and cooking them with tomato puree, covered with boiling vegetable broth.

The result will be a delicious and flavorful dish that is perfect for any family lunch or dinner.

We used dried lentils for more nutritious and protein-rich, but with long soaking times. If desired, to make them more digestible, you can soak them with a pinch of baking soda and boil them with a piece of kombu seaweed, or, to speed up the process, you can substitute them with pre-cooked lentils in glass jars.

You can flavor the legumes to your liking with bay leaves, as in our version, with 1-2 sprigs of rosemary, or, for an exotic and spicy touch, you can add to the mixture 30 g of grated ginger root and a pinch of turmeric.

At your discretion, you can substitute the broth with an equal amount of boiling water, made more flavorful by the addition of vegetable bouillon.

Here’s a simple recipe to get you started:

Ingredients:

1 cup of dried lentils
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 can of tomato puree (800 g)
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional ingredients:

30 g of grated ginger root
1 pinch of turmeric
1-2 sprigs of rosemary
Vegetable bouillon

Instructions:

Soak the lentils in cold water for 8 hours.
In a large pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot to the pan and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
If desired, add the optional ingredients such as grated ginger root, turmeric, and rosemary.
Drain the lentils and add them to the pan, stirring to coat them with the vegetable mixture.
Add the tomato puree, vegetable broth, bay leaves, salt, and pepper to the pan.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the pan.
Simmer the lentils for 30 minutes, or until they are tender.
If desired, vegetable bouillon for added flavor.
Serve the lentils hot, with homemade bread on the side. Enjoy!