Stewed brown lentils are part of the Italian culinary tradition, a perfect side dish to accompany meat, roast, sausages or even in a pasta or just eaten as a soup.
Brown lentils also bring to mind the New Year’s Eve because according to Italian tradition, they are prepared together with Cotechino – a slow cooked pork sausage – as a good omen for a good year ahead, since lentils bring money and luck /cotechino-e-lenticchie-traditional-slow-cooked-pork-sausage-with-lentils/
In some parts of Italy freckles are also nicknamed as lentils.
4 servings, Preparation time 10 mins, Cooking time 40 mins
- 300 gr dried brown lentils
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 carrots
- 1 onion
- 1 bay leaf
- a sprig of thyme or rosemary
- 2-3 cherry tomatoes, better if ripe
- salt and Evoo – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, to taste
- Cold water, to taste
- optional chilli pepper
Method
Dried lentils have a soaking time 6 to 8 hours. You can replace them by using pre-cooked lentils.
Dice carrots, onion and tomatoes, peel and cut garlic in half by removing the inner part.
Heat a tablespoon of Evoo in a pot and stir-fry the garlic for a couple of minutes, then add diced onion, carrots, cherry tomatoes together with the lentils, bay leaf and thyme. Stir well.
Now pour cold water up to a finger above the lentils.
Tips: For traditional cooking it will take about 40 minutes over a low heat, stirring occasionally.
For pressure cooker, about 25 minutes.
Once ready, add salt and add a drizzle of Evoo and some chilli pepper if you want.
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