Culinaria: Give Lentils Their Due

One of the oldest, most affordable, and widespread foods offers more flavors than you may know

A friend sent me a question, “I’m not a fan of lentils – not sure why, if it’s the texture and/or size and/or taste – so can I just substitute any other pulse in recipes calling for them?”

My answer is far more complicated than a simple yes or no. In some recipes, other ingredients will work with just a flavor variation — think split peas in a soup in place of lentils — but in some the flavor and texture of the lentils are integral to the item itself — think lentil pate — and it might be best to find a different dish. Also, if one kind of lentils offend your senses, try a different kind. The choices are wide: black (sometimes called caviar or beluga lentils,) puy, red, green, brown, yellow; and can come whole, split, or peeled. Each one has distinct flavors and properties that are good for different preparations. For example, the French puy keep their texture well and make a great salad with an herb vinaigrette, split red lentils are perfect for thickening soup without leaving a “beany” texture, I almost always add a couple of handfuls to my soups.

Lentils are one of the most widely eaten pulses around the world; they are inexpensive, easy to cook, and nutritional powerhouses. Loaded with protein and fiber as well as potassium, folate, vitamins, and other micronutrients. They grow in small pods on the vivicia lens plant, usually 1-3 to a pod, and can grow pretty much anywhere in the world. Last summer I grew lentil plants by germinating whole, dried lentils from the grocery store – it was a great experience but my crop was tiny, as I had only a few plants. These little legumes have been used for foods for millennia: there is historical evidence of lentil soup being eaten as far back as 13,000 years ago. Ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Hebrews all ate lentils, which finally made their arrival in what is now India about 4,000 years ago. There is wonderful mythology around lentils, too. Some cultures consider them to be good luck, some cultures eat them as a meal of mourning. In one Torah story, first-born Esau sold his birthright to his younger brother, Jaccob, for a bowl of lentils.

Illustration of lentils, from the 1880’s. Lentils may be the oldest crop in the world. Photo via Wikimedia Commons

But lentils also garner a good share of hate, as evidenced by my friend’s question. I know someone who cooked lentil soup at least once a week for 20 years before her husband told her he actually hated lentils. And there was the winter of 1978 when my mother was given a 50-pound bag of lentils as a gift and we ate them so often that after that year I didn’t eat lentils with joy for about 10 years. Chef Bobby Flay famously hates lentils. Lentils are both an absolute culinary delight and the first item for people who don’t know how to make vegetarian food exciting yet sometimes lentils make appearances in foods that probably ought not contain lentils, such as granola bars or breakfast oatmeal.

Harira mixes lentils and chickpeas in a heavily spiced Moroccan soup, from India we have dal tadka that is made of yellow lentils with spices infused in ghee or oil and dal saag which combines lentils and spinach, cotechino sausage and lentils is eaten in Italy for the new year. Longtime residents of the Boulder area might remember the lentil lamb soup that Mataam Fez served with chunks of their thick wheat bread, it has been years since I had it and I can still remember the flavor. There is a restaurant in Santa Fe that makes a dosa that I sometimes actually dream about; the thin buttery crepe of fermented rice and lentil batter is the size of my arm and smells like heaven. And my child once made a dish with butter melted leeks and lentils that was memorable in the best ways.

If soupy or pureed lentils aren’t your jam, try this salad instead:

Puy Lentils with Fennel and Apple

• 2 cups puy lentils
• 1 bulb fresh fennel
• 1 Honeycrisp apple
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1 Tbs honey (Vegans can substitute maple syrup)
• 1 Tbs grainy mustard
• kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Bring 6-8 cups of salted water to a boil then add in the lentils. Cook until they are tender but still firm. Drain and cool. Meanwhile, wash and cut the fennel bulb into small dice. Finely mince the fronds of the fennel. Wash and finely dice the apple. Put the lentils, fennel, and apple into a large bowl. Mix the oil, vinegar, honey, and mustard then pour over the lentil mix. Toss well then season with salt and pepper to taste. You can add chopped parsley, minced fresh garlic, or scallions if you like.

I will be here again next month, to talk food and answer questions. Please be part of the dialogue by submitting your questions or comments to [email protected]

Cook, eat, be brave.