Lentils and quinoa
The little pulse and the super grain seem to have generated the most interest in Friday’s blog entry about the new book, “The 10 Things You Need to Eat.” FYI, a “pulse” is the seed of a legume, and lentils fit into that category.
A few blog readers have shared recipes for these ingredients, but I wanted to expand your repertoire a bit with a couple of extra recipes from two very good cookbooks, “The Gluten-Free Vegan” by Susan O’Brien and “A Fistful of Lentils” by Jennifer Felicia Abadi.
Read on to see recipes for Mexican Quinoa Salad and Rishta b’Tahineh, or egg noodles with lentils and sesame butter.
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Serves 4
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup quinoa, rinsed with cold water and drained
1/2 cup seeded and chopped red or yellow bell peppers
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced finely
1 small red onion or 2 green onions, chopped fine
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 (15 oz.) can pinto or other beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp. canola oil
Juice of one lime
Freshly ground pepper
Sea salt
1. Heat the water to boiling in a 2-quart saucepan and add quinoa. Lower heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
2. When quinoa is cooled, add peppers, onions, tomatoes, beans, cumin, cilantro, salsa, oil and lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss to blend well. Chill before serving.
Source: “The Gluten-Free Vegan” by Susan O’Brien
Rishta b’Tahineh (Egg noodles with lentils and sesame butter)
Serves 2-4
1 cup dried brown lentils
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
1 1/4 cups plus 5 Tbsp. cold water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups dry wide egg noodles
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste)
1 Tbsp. sesame seeds for garnish
1. Submerge lentils in a medium-sized bowl filled with cold water. Pick out small rocks and skim off any dirt and old shells that float to the surface. Drain.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium and cook the onions, stirring, until browned, about 15 minutes. Set aside.
3. Place drained lentils in medium-sized saucepan. Add 1 1/4 cups of the water, season with salt and pepper, and cook, covered, over low heat until tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in saucepan.
4. While lentils are cooking, heat the water for the noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and toss with 1 Tbsp. of the butter. Cover the bowl with a plate or lid to keep warm.
5. Add the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, the remaining 5 Tbsp. water, the browned onions and the tahini to the cooked lentils. Mix well, cover and heat through over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes.
6. Place the lentil mixture and the cooked noodles in a glass or ceramic serving bowl and toss together. Serve with sesame seeds sprinkled over top.
January 26, 2010 - 10:34 AM
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Thanks for sharing, Lindsey! My husband would love the Rishta b’Tahineh. I’ve got some lentils in the cupboard calling my name!
I admit, I know nothing about lentils, but this is kinda gross:
“Pick out small rocks and skim off any dirt and old shells that float to the surface.”
Is this normal for lentils??? I guess maybe I should just search and read for myself instead of showing my lack of knowledge…
Thanks for the quinoa info. A friend gave me some but I have not used it as yet. Will give it a try now that I have a recipe that looks pretty good.
Susan, it is not uncommon to find rocks or dirt in dried beans, and lentils are no different. I assume it’s hard to harvest them without having the occasional bean-sized rock or some dirt get in the mix. It does not mean there’s anything wrong with the lentils or the beans, and I wouldn’t let it keep you from eating them. Think of it like washing a head of broccoli or scrubbing potatoes before you cook them.
The dirt on those beans is probably a whole lot better for a person than some of the chemicals they put in processed foods!
Okay so is it “keen-wah” or “kwi-noah”? We argue in the office about the pronunciation, but agree on the yumminess. Thanks for these recipes!
I made a spiced lentil soup in the crockpot last week. It was great! I am still looking for a good, simple, “old-fashioned” lentil soup recipe, though.
Joel, it is pronounced KEEN-wah.
I butchered the pronunciation in an interview with a chef about a week into my new job as the food writer. He was gracious; I was embarassed.
Autumn, let me see if this “Fistful of Lentils” has a good soup recipe. If I can find one, I’ll post.
Yay! Thanks, Lindsey!
Autumn, I’ve done lentils just in a dutch oven with just veg broth, celery, onion, and whatever spices you like. I’ve also done that and floated some ham bones in to flavor it, which is also yum if the pork is ok and you’re not pursuing a vegetarian option.
Sometimes I think adding barley might be good too.
It’s very thick and comfort-foody, and perfect for winter.
Lindsey, I love anything with tahini. That Rishta b’Tahineh looks great!
What if you made lentil soup and added quinoa? Whammo! Double power food!!
Those do look great Lindsey. Thanks! I only know how to pronouce quinoa because I saw it phonetically spelled out in a cooking magazine one time. If not for that, I’d be pronouncing it kwi-noah too.
Susan,
Nothing at all wrong with asking that question. That’s the only way you can learn, is by asking! Your question reminded me of an episode of ‘Dirty Jobs’ (my favorite show!) with Mike Rowe. He was working at a potato farm, and had to help sort the potatoes that came down the conveyor from the harvesting truck. He kept missing the rocks (sized between a golf ball & a baseball) because everything was covered with dirt, and it was hard to tell the difference.
It’s the same way with almost any type of harvested food. Dried beans of all types have the same instructions because even though they are indeed inspected multiple times, one bite into a pebble could lead to a lawsuit for dental repair.
And, oh, if it makes you feel any better, up until now, I always thought quinoa was pronounced: KWI-no-uh. So we all are learning every day. Thanks to Lindsey!
We cook dried beans frequently and always rinse and inspect the beans at least 3 times before starting to soak. No need to fret…this only takes a few minutes. I then change the water again before starting to cook. I highly recommend that everyone do the same. I know this might sound disgusting to some, but I think no more of it than washing an apple before eating it. Dried beans are a healthy and economical food source and I could not imagine a winter without them.
I feel pretty dumb. Have a bad head cold and when I saw “shells”, for some ridiculous reason, I was thinking “sea shells” and couldn’t figure out why lentils would have SHELLS in them. DUH. SO much for a clear head. Some soup would be EXCELLENT right now. Thanks for the education and not finding my question silly. I always wash my dried navies three times before I soak them, so I should know already. DUH.
Autumn, here is my recipe for old fashioned lentil soup: the day before cook some smoked ham hocks in water for 3-4 hours (makes great broth!) When cool enough, strain and pick out the meat and add it back to the broth. Chill overnight, then remove the fat that is on top. Feed this to the birds. Add a pound of lentils (picked over & rinsed) chopped onion, celery, carrots, and a can of diced tomatoes. Add salt & pepper, parsley and thyme or whatever you like. Cook until lentils are soft. Great on a cold day!
Carol, that sounds fantastic! I think I may have to make some this weekend, especially if it snows!!! Thank you for sharing!
I love that cookbook by Susan O’Brien! She’s a wonderful person too! She really helped me out with vegan recipes when i was trying them out a few months ago!
Here are two more lentil soup recipes I found. One is Syrian and one Italian.
Addes (Split Red Lentil Soup)
Serves 4-6
2 1/2 cups dried split red lentils
10 cups cold water
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 to 2 tsp. minced garlic, to taste
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour dissolved in 3 Tbsp. cold water
Lemon wedges (1-2 per person)
1. Submerge lentils in a medium-sized bowl filled with cold water. Pick out small rocks and skim off any dirt and old shells that float to the surface. Drain.
2. Put drained lentils in a 5-quart saucepan or kettle, add water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and mix well. Continue to simmer until the soup becomes fairly thick, like pea soup, an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Mix garlic, cumin and coriander in a small bowl.
4. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and add the garlic mixture. Brown until the garlic and oil turn into a yellow sauce, about 30 seconds. Do not cook the garlic over high heat or it will burn. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Add dissolved flour to soup. Simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes. Add garlic mixture and stir well. Taste the soup and add salt if necessary. Serve very hot accompanied by lemon wedges, which are squeezed into each spoonful of soup as it is eaten.
Source: “A Fistful of Lentils” by Jennifer Felicia Abadi
Zuppa Di Lenticchie (Italian Lentil Soup)
4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, lightly crushed with the flat side of a knife blade
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into a small dice
1 rib celery, trimmed and cut into a small dice
2 cups brown lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups of best quality low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Cook’s note: For an even heartier soup, add a small smoked pork chop to the pot when sauteing vegetables. Remove the pork chop when the soup is cooked and, if you like, shred the meat and return it to pot.
In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery and saute for 5-7 minutes, or until the onioin is softened and pale gold and the carrots are bright orange. Stir in the lentils and saute for a minute or two, mixing well to coat the lentils thoroughly with the oil and vegetables. Pour in the broth and water, and then add thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover partially and simmer, stirring from time to time, for about 45 minutes or until the lentils are completely tender. Reduce the heat, if necessary, to keep the soup at a gentle simmer.
Discard bay leaf. Taste soup and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Top each bowl with a handful of croutons.
Source: “The Glorious Soups and Stews of Italy” by Domenica Marchietti
Dear Lindsey, Thank you for another incredible edible. Maybe it was the company, maybe the place, the cook certainly had something to do with it, the quinoa dish she brought to the Maywood Garden Club’s annual Christmas party was absolutely delicious and she said she found it in your column. I shall make it to take the New River Valley Gourd Society’s annual Christmas Party. May your Holiday Season be safe and happy and filled with good things to eat. Nan Gray of Silver Lining Farm, Craig Co., VA