Tons of Lentils

[barefootpris]

I just happen to received 4 bags of green lentils (yes 4 big bags) from my brother this weekend....and to be honest I don't know what to do with them...Last night I attempted to make a Greek lentil soup..but it came out bland and boring...
Any hounders w/ some tasty recipes I can try tonight?

Many thanks,
bF

[Kagey]

There was a great and very simple recipe for Italian lentil soup in the current Atlantic. I made it on Monday night and it was fantastic! See link below. The recipe isn't written in "recipe" format--it's in the 6th paragraph, I think. But as I said, it's very simple and forgiving. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200803...

[seconds]

Three of my favorites:

Dal Bhat - This is an Indian/Nepali staple. Eat this over rice. It's not fancy, but is a comfort food for lots of South Asians. I spent time in Nepal so I love this.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_21926,00.html?rsrc=search

Lebanese Lentil and Rice Pilaf - not fancy, but very tasty.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/108813

French Lentil Soup - be sure to use the balsamic vinegar.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[Felixnot]

I made a lentil and pasta soup last night, from Mark Bittman's World's Best Recipes. I added curry. Very tasty.

[renz]

One of my favorite ways to eat lentils is in mujadarrah, which is lentils with rice and caramelized crispy onions.

Here is a great recipe:
http://www.lindystoast.com/2006/02/pr...

It's so much more than the sum of its parts.

[elise h]

Sounds wonderful. How long does it take to caramelize the onions?

[bite bite]

Here's a link to Alice Water's lentil and goat cheese salad which is one of the tastiest lentil concoctions I've ever eaten. (haven't actually made myself yet though). It's delicious and tangy with red wine vinegar as one of the ingredients. The recipe is the third one down on this link, titled 'Alice Water's lentil and goat cheese salad'.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE5D8163BF931A15754C0A966958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

Something I have made and like a lot is a lemon, cilantro and red lentil soup recipe I got out of the NY Times. (Thinking you could probably substitute green lentils for the red, but you might need to adjust cooking times as red lentils cook super fast.) Yummy and really easy to throw together. Finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a dash of chili powder in the serving bowls, this soup has sort of a Mediterranean feel to it and is quite pretty too. The chili powder at end is a nice intensifier -- you can also include a bit of cayenne in the soup to spice it up a bit. A nice low-effort recipe with satisfying results.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/09/din...

[alkapal]

check this thread:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/474452

[janniecooks]

Lentil salad: cook lentils until tender, drain them and while still warm, dress them with a garlicky red wine vinaigrette that includes a bit of dijon mustard and a splash of lemon juice. Then add one or more of the following additions: chopped scallions or minced red onion, minced celery, minced parsley or other herb, tuna or anchovies, baby spinach or other green leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature. Delicious!

[Paul Weller]

I make something similar to this and serve it with duck confit that has been aged a bit. It's pretty awesome.

[AntarcticWidow]

Another salad variation: add cubed feta cheese, peeled cucumbers, seeded and quartered, diced tomato, pitted kalamata olives (whole or sliced lengthwise), minced parsley, fresh or dried oregano to taste. Drizzle EVO, squeeze fresh lemon over it and toss gently.

[DiveFan]

I like Jeff Smith's version: http://life-eos.blogspot.com/2007/10/...
Very refreshing and not heavy if you add enough lemon juice.

[orangewasabi]

green lentils go a long way!

one of my fav ways to do green lentils is with brown rice -- 50/50 rice&lentils baked. if I am feeling ultra fancy, I'll throw in browned onions. makes a great base for a stir fry, a lot heartier than just rice with a nice nutty taste.

[SeaSide Tomato]

orangewasabi--how do you bake those lentils--i.e. how much water/liquid and for how long?

Thanks!!

[orangewasabi]

1 cup brown rice
1 cup green lentils
3 cups water + salt & butter (or stock)
bake at 375 for about 75 minutes

[SeaSide Tomato]

Yum! Thanks--I can't wait to try!

[ziggylu]

lentil and sausage soup

traditional french lentil soup

curried lentils

salmon with lentils

poached egg over lentils

lentil chili(make just like beef chili using lentils in place of the meat)

[Val]

There are a million lentil curry recipes out there in case you love curry. Here's one for Lentils with Balsamic Vinaigrette that I truly love (though I also love curried lentils too!) and I love putting the lentils (warmed up) over crispy romaine lettuce instead of the radiccio, and then topping that with just a few dabs of goat cheese...oh, mama!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[Euonymous]

Our paper had a food section about them recently, which you can find at:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article...

I made lentils with kielbasa the other day and was disappointed to find that there were no leftovers for breakfast. I don't have a recipe, but let me know if you'd like guidelines.

[barefootpris]

Aha...kielbasa...ummm
Guildlines woule be great!
Thanks

[Euonymous]

OK. I don't use the fancy French green ones, just regular supermarket lentils, but here goes.

1 or 2 lbs kielbasa (I used one package)
2 yellow onions, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 or 4 big carrots, diced
1 lb lentils
Water or broth, as much as you desire
Fresh thyme, if you have it

Slice the Kielbasa and brown it in a large soup pot. When it's nice and brown take it out and put it onto a plate. Add the diced vegetables to the pot, turn down the heat to low, and let them cook for about 8-10 minutes.

Pour in as much of whatever liquids you like, bring to a boil, add the lentils, thyme, and sausage, turn down to a simmer, and cook until done (generally about 1/2 hour).

When it's done and how much liquid should be added are both to your taste. Some people like a soup, others like a heftier bean dish. How long it cooks and how much liquid is added are both key in this.

[barefootpris]

ooh sounds great....will try this tonight....thanks for the recipe :)