Provençal lentils

Name: Provençal lentils
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: United Kingdom
Ingredients: ½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns; 1 tablespoon tomato purée; salt, to taste; 1 tablespoon chopped mint; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 bay leaf; 1 tablespoon chopped parsley; 250 g Puy lentils

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Winter Food

By Jill Norman

Published 2005

About

Lentils are available in several varieties; the ones with the best flavour and texture come from Puy in France and from Castelluccio in Italy. Decidedly comfort food, they respond well to a variety of flavourings: herbs, spices, cream or yogurt, as well as the traditional garlic and tomato of Provence.

Ingredients

250 g Puy lentils
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion

Europe
United Kingdom
Side dish
Vegetarian
Gluten-free

Method

Pick over the lentils and wash them. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the onion until softened and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic, stir it in the oil for a moment, then put in the lentils, bay leaf, peppercorns and tomato purée. Pour in 750ml of water, stir to mix in the tomato purée and cook, partly covered, until the lentils are tender; this should take 20–25 mi