Italian Lentils
These stewed Italian Lentils simmer with carrots, celery, onion, tomato paste, and red wine for a hearty side dish. Serve with chicken, Italian sausage, or crusty bread for an easy meal any time of year! Traditionally, we serve these on New Year's Day for good luck!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 202kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 large saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup dried green lentils
- 4 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Place a large saucepan on medium heat and add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Once hot, stir in the carrots, celery, and onion. Sauté for 8 minutes, until softened.
- Add the tomato paste to the saucepan in a place where it directly touches the pan. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir it into the vegetable mixture and season with salt and pepper. Sauté for 3 more minutes.
- Stir in the lentils and coat well with the mixture. Then pour in the red wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the red wine is completely absorbed. Add the chicken broth and the bay leaf, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and bring to a low simmer. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf. Remove from the heat and combine fresh, chopped parsley with the lentils. The lentils should be tender, with a little broth remaining for dipping bread. If they become dry before becoming tender, add a splash of broth. Serve with crunchy Italian bread for dipping.
Video
Notes
- Sauté the vegetables until soft before adding the lentils to bring out the most flavor in the dish by allowing the natural sugars to caramelize.
- Caramelize the tomato paste in the pan by placing it directly on the pan until it darkens for a more intense tomato flavor.
- Let the lentils soak up the wine completely before adding the broth to concentrate the flavor into the lentils and reduce any bitterness.
- Always serve with bread to soak up the extra sauce.
- Keep the lentils at a gentle simmer and check their texture before serving. The cooking time is a guide; tenderness is the goal.
- Adjust the consistency at the end. If the lentils are tender but too brothy, simmer uncovered briefly. If they’re too thick, stir in a splash of broth.
Nutrition
Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 1224mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3667IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg
