French lentils with carrots and Dijon
Lentils simmered with carrots, celery and thyme and finished with a sharp Dijon vinaigrette, the simple French bistro dish that’s cozy warm and even better the next day.
- 45 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $1.72 a serving
- 400 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely diced
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ cups lentils, brown or green, rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 oz goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
- ½ French bread, for serving (optional)
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 bay leave
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 400 calories, 20 g protein, 57 g carbs and 11 g fat, and costs about $1.72 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No fresh parsley? Cilantro works.
- No French bread? Sourdough bread works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and them, stirring now and then, 8 to 10 minutes, until soft but not .
Sweat. Sweating means cooking vegetables gently over low to medium-low heat until they soften and release their juices, without browning. It builds a sweet, mellow base for soups and sauces.
How you’ll know: They look glossy and soft with beads of moisture, and they haven’t turned brown.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Low heatTimer: 9 min
Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute.
Medium heat
Add the lentils, broth, bay leaf and salt and over high heat.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
25 to 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender and most of the liquid is gone.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Lid ajar. Lid ajar means resting the lid on the pot slightly off-center, leaving a small gap. Some steam escapes, so the sauce thickens and doesn’t boil over, while most of the heat stays in.
How you’ll know: A thin wisp of steam drifts out of the gap, and the pot bubbles gently without spilling.
Low heatTimer: 27 min
the mustard, vinegar, pepper and the last tablespoon of oil in a small bowl.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Fish out the bay leaf and stir the dressing and parsley into the warm lentils. Taste and add salt if needed.
Dolly’s tip: The lentils soak up the dressing best while they’re warm.Spoon into bowls, goat cheese over the top, and serve with crusty bread.
Crumble. Crumbling means breaking food into small, rough bits with your fingers or a spoon, like feta or ground meat in the pan. Small bits spread through the dish, so there’s some in every bite.
How you’ll know: The pieces are small and uneven, about pea-size, with no big clumps left.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
