They’re nobody’s first choice for a cooking ingredient, but they deserve much more respect. I’m talking about lentils, one of the very healthiest foods out there, and when well-prepared, one of the tastiest. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino was eager to tell us why he loves lentils.
Jerry says lentils are great and they are very nutritious and very versatile. First of all, they are a legume, and they come in colors: red, yellow, green, brown and black, and each is slightly different from the others. For instance, brown and green lentils keep their shape when you cook them, but red lentils get soft and are easily puréed. Black lentils have the firmest texture and strongest taste, while the so-called “puy” or French lentils are kind of peppery, and very firm.
One of the first things that comes to mind is lentil soup, and you can use any color lentil for it. Keep in mind you don’t need to soak the lentils, but you do need to rinse them off. For soup, you would start by sautéing your aromatics, carrots, onions, celery and garlic, until they are tender. You add whatever broth you want, boil and then simmer, and then come the lentils. Cook until tender, add seasonings and you’re done. It doesn’t take any time at all.
And how about using lentils in a stew? Again, it’s easy. You start again with your aromatics, then add some broth, but now a whole lot, then any ingredients that require longer cooking, like beans, potatoes or hard squash, and when those are tender, you toss in the lentils. You also can easily add proteins like cheese, chicken, pork or firm white fish. And then you stir it well over low heat and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes.
And for seasonings, you can let your imagination run wild. You could go with earthy things like cumin, coriander, paprika, sage and thyme. Then there are the lighter herbs and spices like oregano, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and parsley.
But we can think outside the box a little bit. For instance, I think people forget that you can use cooked lentils in salads. What they do for texture is amazing, and their subtle flavors support the more assertive ingredients. And I would add that since you’ll be using good quality olive oil in a lot of salads, the earthiness of olive oil pairs up well with lentils.
Then there’s the whole universe of lentils in Indian cooking. We’ve all seen the word “dal” on an Indian menu, and that is simply the word for lentils. “Masoor dal” is a very spicy red lentil soup with a whole cupboard full of ingredients. A dish called “kerria kootu” works spinach and peppers into the lentils along with traditional curry spices. And “dal vada” are lentil fritters.
Which brings to mind lentil burgers!
With all the interest in vegetarian alternatives, someone was bound to come up with lentil burgers. And they’re pretty easy. You make a dry blend of cooked lentils, grated carrots and cabbage, tomato paste and assorted spices. You form them into a patty shape and fry them up.
