Stewed Lentils

Learn how to make the best lentils using French du Puy lentils, aromatics and herbs. Add depth of flavor to your dishes with this stewed lentil technique.

If you’ve ever tried to cook lentils you may have followed the directions on the back of the package and simply cooked them in water like you would rice.  While there’s certainly nothing wrong with preparing lentils that way, it isn’t particularly exciting; luckily it’s easy to infuse lentils with flavor if you have the right lentils and the right technique.

The right lentils are French du Puy lentils and the right technique is stewing or braising them.

Stewed Lentils

Stewed lentils are flavorful, easy to prepare, and can be used in a variety of different ways.  Cooking the lentils with aromatics such as shallots, carrots, celery and fresh and dried herbs like, thyme, bay leaves and parsley gives the lentils great of depth of flavor that water alone could never achieve.  Served warm, it’s a hearty yet nutritious side that goes with just about anything you’re making.  Leftovers are also great cold in a salad or thrown into a soup.  Once you’ve mastered this technique for making lentils you’ll never go back to just water again.  Here’s what you’ll need to make them.

Ingredient Notes:

(Here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.  As always find the full list of ingredients and directions in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.)

• Lentils - Small French du Puy lentils are the best for this recipe since they retain their shape the best when cooked.  Black beluga lentils will work as well but stay clear of regular brown or green lentils which will fall apart and turn to mush when cooked.
• Shallots – I like the mild flavor of shallots for these lentils but you can also substitute onion if you’d prefer.
• Garlic – Just a couple cloves of finely minced garlic brings lots of flavor.
• Carrots – Finely chopped carrots bring a bit of sweetness and color to the dish.
• Celery – While celery is traditional alongside the shallots and carrots you can also substitute fennel if you’d prefer.
• Olive Oil – Use your favorite extra-virgin olive oil.
• Stock or Water – You can use either water or a good quality vegetable stock for extra flavor, just make sure it’s low or no-sodium.
• Herbs – You’ll need a combination of fresh thyme, dried bay leaves and fresh parsley.
• Vinegar (optional) – A splash of red wine vinegar at the end brightens up the lentils and balances the flavors.

How to Make Stewed Lentils (aka Lentil Ragout):

1. Start by cooking the shallot, garlic, carrots and celery in the olive oil until softened. 
2. Next add the lentils, water or stock and herbs to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Lower the heat and keep the lentils at a bare simmer as they cook.  (You want just a couple bubbles around the edges.)
3. Continue to cook the lentils until tender and most of the water or stock is gone. 
4. At this point stir in some extra olive oil to prevent the lentils from sticking and salt and pepper the lentils before serving.

Serving Suggestions:

• Serve the lentils warm topped with goat cheese or feta.
• Drain and cool the lentils and dress them with a red wine vinaigrette to serve as a salad.
• Add the cooked lentils to soups for extra protein.

More Lentil Recipes:

• Black Lentil Salad
• Lentil Tabbouleh
• Kale and Lentil Salad