Green or brown lentils, carrots and garlic make a substantial pot without a long ingredient list. The useful part of this method is its texture check: the lentils and carrots should both be tender, and the liquid should have the consistency of a stew rather than a thin soup.
Makes approximately six main-course portions, depending on appetite and accompaniments.
Ingredients
- 450 g green or brown lentils, sorted, rinsed and drained
- 2 heaped cups carrots, cut into approximately 1 cm pieces
- 4–5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- 7 cups water, with a little more if needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for serving if wanted
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan or pecorino, for serving
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
- Bread, cooked short pasta or cooked grains, optional, for serving
The cheese contains milk. Bread or pasta may contain wheat. Check the products you use if these allergens matter to your meal.
Method
- Start the pot. Put the lentils, carrots, garlic, salt and bay leaf in a large heavy saucepan. Add the water and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat enough to keep the mixture cooking steadily. Skim off foam as it appears.
- Check the liquid. After about 12 minutes, reduce the heat for a gentle simmer. The source allows a further 10–13 minutes, but use that as a checking point, not a promise: lentil type, age and cooking conditions can change the time.
- Finish cooking to tenderness. Check a lentil and a carrot piece. Continue until both are tender. If the pot becomes too dry before they soften, add a little water and keep checking. Aim for a spoonable stew.
- Finish with oil. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Taste before adding more salt, remembering that the cheese will add seasoning at the table.
- Serve. Spoon into bowls, alone or over cooked pasta or grains. Add the grated cheese, optional parsley, black pepper and a little extra olive oil if wanted.
Keep the texture flexible
The stew thickens as it stands. When reheating a portion, loosen it with a little water as needed and stir so it heats evenly. Do not use extra liquid to disguise lentils that are still firm; those need more cooking.
For leftovers, cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate rather than leaving the whole pot out until completely cold. General handling guidance is available from FoodSafety.gov.
Explore more recipes in ShamsMag Cooking.
Editorial source
Adapted from the owner's Monir Chef archive, post 10724. Cover: AI-generated illustration.
