Description
Six bowls of brothy French green lentils with leeks and vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups French green lentils, picked over and rinsed
- 2 medium leeks Leeks, white and light-green parts, sliced and washed
- 2 medium carrots Carrots, diced
- 2 stalks Celery stalks, diced
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 2 cloves Garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups Low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 sprigs Fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 leaf Bay leaf
- 3/4 teaspoon Fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Pick over and rinse 1 1/2 cups French green lentils. Slice the white and light-green parts of two leeks, wash thoroughly to remove trapped grit, then drain. Dice two carrots and two celery stalks.
- Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot. Cook leeks, carrots and celery about eight to ten minutes until softened but not browned deeply; add two minced garlic cloves for the final minute.
- Add lentils, 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, two thyme sprigs and one bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer; cover partially and cook approximately 30–35 minutes until lentils are tender but hold their shape. Add a measured amount of extra water only if a test shows the pot dries too quickly.
- Remove thyme stems and bay leaf. Stir in 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper and 1 tbsp lemon juice, then taste. Divide into six provisional bowls, recording actual lentil tenderness, liquid absorption and final volume in a kitchen trial.
Notes
Recipe-development draft; not kitchen-tested. Timing and yield are estimates. Nutrition has not been calculated.
Untested estimate: about ten minutes sauté and 30–35 minutes simmer; lentil age changes tenderness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Soups
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately one and a quarter cups, pending measured pot volume