Green Beans and Lentils with Dates & Tahini

🥘 Ingredients

• medium lemons 2-3
• good-quality tahini 0.67 cup
• fat garlic clove 2
• Kosher
• ice water 0.33 cup
• extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp
• small yellow onion 1
• Kosher
• roasted red bell pepper about from a jar ½
• medium lemon 1
• Cooked Lentils 2 ½ cup
• low-sodium vegetable broth ½ cup
• fresh green beans 16 oz
• Medjool dates 4
• flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems 1 cup
• fat garlic cloves 4
• jalapeño or fresno chile pepper 1
• For serving: Crusty bread to serve 4

Simple Tahini Dressing

1. 1

   Prepare: medium lemons , good-quality tahini , fat garlic clove , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, ice water .
2. 2

   Zest 2 lemons, then juice them to get 1/3 cup lemon juice. If needed, juice another lemon to get this amount of juice.
3. 3

   In a food processor, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, 1 tsp kosher salt, several cracks of pepper, and ice water. Blend until smooth, thick, and creamy. If it won’t blend, add 1 tbsp water at a time. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt or lemon juice as desired.
4. 4

   Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
5. 5

   Gather: extra virgin olive oil , small yellow onion , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, roasted red bell pepper about from a jar , medium lemon , Cooked Lentils , low-sodium vegetable broth , fresh green beans , Medjool dates , flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems . For the aromatics for green beans (from vegetable prep): fat garlic cloves , jalapeño or fresno chile pepper , 6 tbsp Simple Tahini Dressing labeled “Green Beans & Lentils” (from meal prep), For serving: Crusty bread to serve .
6. 6

   Prepare your side salad, if you’re making one.
7. 7

   Heat a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium heat with 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Once shimmering, add the onion with a pinch of salt. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the onions cook, slice the roasted red bell pepper into very thin strips. Zest and juice 1 lemon. Set aside the zest for step 4(b). Add the Cooked Lentils and roasted peppers to the onions. Season with 1/4 tsp kosher salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the lentils are warm and the peppers have melted into the lentils, about 4 minutes. Pour in the broth. Cook at a rapid simmer until the broth reduces and the lentils are no longer soupy, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in 1 tsp lemon juice. Season to taste with more salt or lemon. Transfer the lentils to a bowl and wipe out the frying pan.
8. 8

   While the lentils cook (or afterward), prep the remaining ingredients. Trim the green beans’ ends (if any beans are very long, cut in half crosswise). Finely chop the dates. Chop the parsley.
9. 9

   Return the frying pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Once shimmering, add the green beans and season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes , until the beans start to blister, then toss. If needed, cook undisturbed for 2 more minutes to allow the beans to evenly blister. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the Aromatics for Green Beans and the finely chopped dates. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes, using a spatula to separate the dates. Add a splash of broth as needed to deglaze the pan. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chopped parsley, lemon zest, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Season with more salt and lemon as desired.
10. 10

    Taste the Simple Tahini Dressing. If desired, add a tiny bit of sugar or liquid sweetener of choice. (Keep in mind that the dates add sweetness as well.)
11. 11

    Divide the lentil mixture across bowls and top with the green beans. Spoon the Simple Tahini Dressing on top of each bowl. Serve with your side salad, if you made one, along with crusty bread.