Lentils du Puy with Roasted Carrots and Beets

5 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 small beets peeled and diced
1 large carrot peeled and diced
4 shallots peeled and halved
12 oz lentils, picked over and rinsed
1 1/4 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups boiling water
3 T sherry wine vinegar
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a 5-quart dutch oven, comvine 3 T of the oil, the beets, carrot, and shallots, stirring to coat the vegetables. Bake, uncovered, until the vegetables begin to color, about 30 minutes.

Stir in lentils, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, and water. Cover and bake until the lentils are tender and all the water has been absorbed, about 1 hour. Remove the parsley and thyme sprigs; discard. Stir in the vinegar, chopped parsley, and the remaining 2 T of olive oil and serve.

Hearty Lentil Soup

3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup onion, diced
1 28 oz. can tomatoes
5 beef bouillon cubes
1/4 c. fresh or 2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
2 medium zucchini, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
2 small turnips, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
5 cups water
8 oz. lentils
1/4 tsp. pepper

Put everything in crock pot except zucchini. Set on high for 2 hours or low for 8 hours. Add zucchini at the end, cook for another 30 min (if on high) or 1 hour (if on low). Serves 12.

*You can add beef soup bones to this if you want - about 2 lbs. Add with the other ingredients. Then, before serving, cut the beef off the bones and cut meat into chunks, returning to the soup.

Lentils are full of iron, protein, and fiber. I love them! I should have a section in my cookbook just for lentils. If anyone has any good recipes with lentils, please share them!

Red Lentil Soup

1 1/2 T. butter
1 onion, chopped
3 clv garlic
1 T. ginger
1/2 t. chili flakes
1/2 t. tumeric
1/2 t. coriander
1/2 t. cumin
2 carrots, peel and chop
2 c. tomatoes (1 can)
1 c. red lentils
3 c. vegetable stock
1/4 c. creamy yogurt
1 T. fresh mint, chopped

1. In pan, melt butter and add onion, garlic, ginger, spices. Cook medium heat until onion is soft. Add carrots, tomatoes, and lentils,then stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 40 minutes or until lentils are tender. Season to taste. Serve with yogurt and mint on top.

Great served with other Indian flavored dishes and Naan bread. Yum.

Curried Lentils with Butternut Squash.

1 cup dry lentils

1 small butternut squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 teaspoon grated gingerroot

1 teaspoon chili powder

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Spray a two-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Pour the lentils into a deep pot and cover with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and add raw chunks of the squash (go ahead and leave the skin on to add nutrients and texture to the dish). Simmer until the squash is soft (about one hour). Remove the pot from the heat, drain, and set aside. With tongs, pull out the chunks of squash and mash them roughly, skins and all, with a fork, ricer, or potato masher.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, mix the drained cooked lentils and mashed squash with the olive oil and all the spices (including the salt and pepper). Spoon the mixture into the baking dish. At this point, you can cover the dish and refrigerate it for a few hours or even overnight. When you're ready, bake until piping hot, which will be about 20 minutes if you're putting it into the oven right after mixing it or 25 to 30 minutes if it's been refrigerated. Serve warm, garnished with shredded coconut if you like and with a serving of wild greens, such as blanched chard. Serves two as a hearty main dish or four as a side dish.


I got this recipe from the runner's world. It is really tasty and filling.