French Style Lentils Food

FRENCH-STYLE LENTILS

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook over medium heat for 5-10 minutes until everything is tender and starting to colour. Add garlic and rosemary and cook for another few minutes until fragrant.
• Add lentils, vegetable stock and bay leaves. Simmer over a low heat for about 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape. Keep an eye on them during cooking, stirring occasionally, and add a little more water if necessary to prevent the lentils from drying out or sticking to the pan. You want to end up with lentils and vegetables that are tender, with a little liquid surrounding them - but you don't want soup.
• Discard bay leaves before serving. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to your taste.

BASIC FRENCH LENTILS

Steps:

• Pick over the lentils, removing any stones. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
• Put lentils in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook 2 minutes. Pour into strainer and rinse with cold water. Rinse saucepan as well and return lentils to pan.
• Push the clove into the onion and place onion in saucepan. Add carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 25-30 minutes until almost tender. Skim off any solids that rise up while cooking. Season with salt and pepper and cook an additional 5-10 minutes until fully tender. Add Cognac, if using.
• Drain the lentils (save the cooking liquid if you're planning to reheat them later). Discard the garlic, bay leaf and clove. Dice the vegetables and stir back into the lentils along with the shallot, if using.
• Serve hot or at room temperature. Store lentils and cooking liquid separately in airtight containers in refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat lentils in cooking liquid in a covered saucepan over low heat.

FRENCH LENTILS WITH GARLIC AND THYME

Steps:

• Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When hot, add chopped vegetables and sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add 6 cups water, lentils, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer.
• Simmer lentils until they are tender and have absorbed most of the water, 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess water after lentils have cooked. Serve immediately, or allow them to cool and reheat later.

FRENCH LENTIL SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add lentils and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining oil, lemon juice, and red-pepper flakes. Season with salt. Add lentils, almonds (if using), cabbage, and herbs and toss to combine. Lentil salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

FRENCH LENTILS WITH CARROTS AND PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Blanch pearl onions in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan of boiling water 1 minute, then drain and peel.
• Heat butter in dry cleaned saucepan over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onions, carrots, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add lentils and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until lentils are just tender, 12 to 20 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Transfer lentils to a serving dish using a slotted spoon. Sprinkle with parsley.

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots; saute until soft and just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and coriander and fry for 2 more minutes.
• Place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Add vegetable mixture, hot water, diced tomatoes with juice, and bay leaf. Cook on High until lentils are tender, 2 or more hours.
• Add bouillon cube, salt, and pepper. Stir, cover, and cook for 20 more minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.

FRENCH LENTIL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic.
• Add tomatoes and carrots.
• Add lentils and herbs. (Thyme works great alone too). Make sure you have small green lentils: sometimes the other types can get mealy.
• Add vegetable broth about 1 inch above lentils.
• Bring to a boil, then let simmer, stirring once in a while.
• When the lentils are soft and soup thick, you are done.
• Add salt/pepper or more herbs to taste.
• A splash of vinegar in your bowl on top of the soup is delicious! (French recipe suggested it, and it was great).