fftf: my FAVORITE EVER lentil recipe (very easy)

Hello friend!

Have you ever had a big bowl full o' lentils that was SO GOOD you started dreaming about it later?! If not, let me introduce you to a lentil recipe that may cause such an episode.

This recipe originates from my chef friend Brigitte, who I used to work for back in my catering days. The way Brigitte and I met is actually one of my prouder moments - she "poached" me while we were both working for a different caterer (she didn't know but I was only 3 days into my catering career when we met!). After working side by side in the kitchen for one full day together, she pulled me aside and was like, "Hey, I'm starting a catering company and you're a really hard worker. Would you consider working for me instead of here?" I couldn't believe it - all I had done that day was eons of dishes and boring chopping projects (catering isn't very glamorous, it's a lot of kitchen grunt work... and also a great place to learn!). I soon started working for Brigitte's catering company, where I was her day-of, right-hand woman, and we became buds! Working as Brigitte's sous chef is where I developed my knowledge of timing of cooking, what can be done ahead, and how to cook for large groups.

Also... Brigitte makes the BEST lentils! After taking some home with me from one of our catering gigs, I couldn't get enough of them and asked her for the recipe. "I don't really use one!" she said, but she told me the main ingredients. So today I'm sharing my version of Brigitte's French-ish lentils, recipe below.

Before I get to it, let me say one thing about lentils. Compared to cooking beans from dry, they cook WAY faster... BUT, contrary to dry beans (which I usually cook in the slow cooker and forget about, see here) - lentils can be overcooked easily, so when you're trying to keep them whole, you have to monitor them. That said - I prefer to make them while I'm also cooking something else because all in all this recipe takes 45 minutes (but only 15 minutes active time, and it's so simple and easy, I know you'll love it!).

Brig's French-ish Lentils

Note: This recipe is extremely flexible, so you can easily scale up if you want to make more, and don't worry about exact quantities. You really just need a small amount of veg to get the flavors going. Feel free to add more carrot/onion/celery if you want more veggie chunks. The tomatoes are also flexible - use whatever tomato product you have handy - fresh or canned, paste or extra sauce or otherwise!

Ingredients:

1.5 cups black/green/brown lentils (Beluga are my favorite, brown and green lentils also work just fine)
3-4 cups water
1-2 carrots
1 onion and/or 1 stalk celery
1/2-1 cup diced canned tomatoes OR 1 Tbsp tomato paste OR handful chopped cherry tomatoes
salt + pepper
red wine vinegar
olive oil (or other cooking fat)

Instructions:

Dice carrot into small pieces. Dice onion and/or celery into small pieces.
In a small sauce pot, heat up some oil (olive oil is fine). Add chopped carrot and onion/celery. Stir to coat and cook on medium for a few minutes to soften. Add tomatoes/tomato paste, stir and cook for another minute.
Add lentils and stir to coat. Then add double-to-triple the amount of water, and 1-2 teaspoons of salt. (I usually start with double the amount of water and 1 tsp of salt and add more water and salt from there as needed based on taste-tests and visual cues as the lentils are cooking.) Give it a stir, then put the lid on and turn heat up to high.
In about 5 minutes, it should be boiling. Remove lid or tilt it, and turn down to medium so it's bubbling but not boiling.
Continue to cook until lentils are cooked through, but not mushy. This will take about 25-35 minutes, depending on the lentils. If the pot is too dry, add more water. Take a spoon out and taste them periodically, adding more salt if needed.
When done, add a few dashes of red wine vinegar. This is KEY! Start with just a dash, taste and adjust, adding more red wine vinegar as needed. A drizzle of olive oil and some black pepper is also great on top.
Eat warm or cold. I love it plain, but you can add avocado, pickled onions, and/or some sausage if you want to turn it into a heartier meal!

I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, I would love to hear what you think! Email me back (or DM me on Instagram) and let me know :)

Happy Friday!

love,
Jess

PS. My Intuitive Cooking TONIGHT! zoom classes yesterday were a big hit and SO MUCH FUN! Thanks so much to all who came! I think I might just have to do a monthly community class, so keep your eyes peeled for announcements/more on that coming soon!

PPS. If you live in the Bay Area and need a caterer, check out my friend Brigitte's company - Butterfield Road Catering!

All photos are taken by me and recipes written by me, unless otherwise noted.

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In case you missed out, here are a few past issues to check out:

April 2: I gasped when I looked in the mirror and saw this
March 19: “I would never think to do that”
March 12: this surprising recipe = “must try!” at first sight
March 5: the tinder message I'm still thinking about 1 year later 🔥
February 26: THIS quick-cooking veggie NEEDS to be in your rotation
February 19: want to 10X variety in your meals with zero cooking effort?

February 12: "it tastes like heaven, Jess! like layers of cloud” 💖
February 5: if I only teach you ONE meal, let it be this...
January 29: a 2-ingredient veggie soup that will blow your mind
January 22: my 2-ingredient, go-to pantry pasta

Hi, I'm Jess! I help health-conscious, busy people transform their cooking from chore to lifestyle through intuitive cooking, which I teach through online classes, free content, coaching and more. This is my newsletter, Food for Thought Fridays, where I share highly actionable tips and inspiration to help you cook more intuitively (which makes cooking feel easier and SO much more fun!). Once a month, I share a recipe that's really worth making, and I only share those with my email subscribers. Sometimes the text above may include affiliate links, meaning (at no additional cost to you) I get a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps me to continue to share free content, so I would love it if you buy through my link! Thank you for supporting Garlic Press Jess!

I currently work + live on land that is the unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone. And I can't wait to eat at Cafe Ohlone! Check out this article about them.