Tomatoey Braised Lentils & Greens
From: Ian Seddon's Cookbook
🥘 Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
- medium fennel bulb 1
- Kosher
- oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes 1 oz
- tomato paste ¼ cup
- red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper 2 tsp
- dried oregano 2 tsp
- Garlicky Base ¾ cup
- Swiss or rainbow chard 1 bunch
- Cooked Lentils 2 ½ cup
- vegetable broth 1 ¼ cup
- of fresh thyme 10 sprig
- flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems 1 handful
- Crusty bread to serve 4
- garlic clove 1
- aged balsamic vinegar 2 tsp
Leftover tomato paste? See the How to Store Leftover Ingredients guide for tips. If you end up with any leftover Garlicky Base, you can toss it with some cooked white beans or chickpeas, add some good-quality olive oil and vinegar (or a squeeze of lemon juice), salt and pepper to taste, and toss in any soft salad greens you have in the crisper. Storage: Store the Lentils & Greens in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. To reheat, add to a frying pan and warm over medium heat (or reheat in the microwave). Top with fennel fronds and/or freshly chopped parsley, if desired. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast. Storage: If you have leftovers of the Garlicky Base, it is freezer-friendly. Freeze in an airtight container, then defrost in the fridge. Nutrition boost: If you kept your chard stems, slice them very thinly. Add them to the pan with the fennel in step 1. For added fiber, serve alongside whole wheat seeded sourdough. For added protein, stir some cooked chickpeas or white beans in the last few minutes of simmering the lentils in step 5. Shortcut: If you bought baby kale instead of prepping the chard, skip step 4. Instead, simply add the baby kale in the last 3 minutes of simmering the lentils in step 5. Shortcut: If short on time, simmer the lentils for just 5 to 10 minutes (though the flavors won’t develop as much).
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1Gather: extra virgin olive oil , medium fennel bulb , Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes , tomato paste , red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper , dried oregano , Garlicky Base , Swiss or rainbow chard , Cooked Lentils , vegetable broth , of fresh thyme , flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems , Crusty bread to serve , garlic clove , aged balsamic vinegar .
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2Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Once hot, add the sliced fennel with a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes , stirring occasionally, until some edges start to brown. While the fennel cooks, finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes. Mix them in a bowl with the tomato paste, red pepper flakes, and oregano.
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3Lower the heat to medium and add the sun-dried tomato mixture. Stir constantly for 2 minutes , until the tomato paste darkens a bit. If the spices start to burn, add a splash of vegetable broth (or water).
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4Add in the Garlicky Base and cook until warmed through, about 1 minute, stirring frequently.
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5Stir in the torn chard, adding in batches as needed if there’s not enough space. Cook until the greens are wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
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6Add the Cooked Lentils, vegetable broth, 1 tsp of kosher salt, and pepper to taste. Nestle in the thyme sprigs. Simmer for 15 minutes , stirring occasionally, until the lentils have absorbed the flavors and are stew-like. If the mixture looks dry during cooking, add in a splash or two of broth.
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7While the lentils braise, chop the parsley and fennel fronds. And toast your bread; while still warm, rub the halved garlic across the toast.
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8Remove the lentils from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the balsamic vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper as needed.
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9Garnish the braised lentils and greens with fennel fronds and parsley. For richness, drizzle a bit of good-quality olive oil on top of each serving. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.