This has been a family tradition for a very long time, and is dead simple to make. It is also inexpensive, vegetarian, freezes easily (great for quick meals), is high in fiber, and very tasty. All you need is some time to make it.
1 pound of dry lentils
Olive oil
A couple onions
4-5 cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
1. Sort the lentils to remove stones and sticks, place in large pot and cover with cold water overnight.
2. Keeping the soak water, drain out the lentils. Boil the soak water.
3. Chop up the onion and garlic, sautee in very large pot with olive oil, until translucent.
4. Add the boiling soak water and lentils, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low simmer. In the meantime, boil more water in the soak water pot.
5. Add salt and pepper, low initially, because the lentils will reduce and flavors increase. Add enough of the boiling water once to achieve loose and soupy consistency. Cook for about 4-6 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Be careful with scorching. Check for salt/pepper toward end.
6. You're done when it has a thick/runny consistency. (Clarification: there will be maybe 20% whole lentils, and the rest will be lentil skins and the degraded lentils.)
To serve: cook up some small pasta (ditalini, elbows, spirals, etc), serve the pasta to each bowl, and then ladle lentils over pasta. The classic accompaniment is extra virgin olive oil and fresh parmesan, guest flavors their bowl as desired.
I usually make up a double batch and then freeze most of it.
1 pound of dry lentils
Olive oil
A couple onions
4-5 cloves of garlic
Salt
Pepper
1. Sort the lentils to remove stones and sticks, place in large pot and cover with cold water overnight.
2. Keeping the soak water, drain out the lentils. Boil the soak water.
3. Chop up the onion and garlic, sautee in very large pot with olive oil, until translucent.
4. Add the boiling soak water and lentils, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low simmer. In the meantime, boil more water in the soak water pot.
5. Add salt and pepper, low initially, because the lentils will reduce and flavors increase. Add enough of the boiling water once to achieve loose and soupy consistency. Cook for about 4-6 hours, stirring every 20 minutes. Be careful with scorching. Check for salt/pepper toward end.
6. You're done when it has a thick/runny consistency. (Clarification: there will be maybe 20% whole lentils, and the rest will be lentil skins and the degraded lentils.)
To serve: cook up some small pasta (ditalini, elbows, spirals, etc), serve the pasta to each bowl, and then ladle lentils over pasta. The classic accompaniment is extra virgin olive oil and fresh parmesan, guest flavors their bowl as desired.
I usually make up a double batch and then freeze most of it.
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