Description
Creamy ‘Marry Me’ Lentils is a comforting and rich lentil dish featuring a flavorful blend of spices, sun-dried tomatoes, and creamy sauce with parmesan and fresh basil. Perfect as a hearty vegetarian main course or side, this recipe balances earthy lentils with aromatic fennel and smoked paprika, finished with a touch of lemon to brighten the dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Lentils
- 1 cup dry black, brown or green lentils
- 2.5 cups cooked lentils (or 2 cans drained and rinsed)
Sauce
- oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes, for cooking (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable stock
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy (double) cream
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese
- 1 bunch basil, chopped
- lemon wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
- Cook Lentils: If using dry lentils, cook 1 cup of lentils using either an Instant Pot with 1.75 cups salted water on HIGH pressure for 9 minutes followed by a natural release for 10 minutes, or simmer on stovetop with 3.5 cups salted water for about 20 minutes until lentils are soft but still slightly al dente.
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large deep-sided sauté pan, warm a few tablespoons of sundried tomato oil over low-medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and sauté until softened. Add crushed garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Spices: Stir in crushed fennel seeds and sauté until fragrant. Quickly add a little extra oil, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning. Stir for a few moments to release aromas without letting the spices burn.
- Incorporate Tomato Ingredients: Add tomato paste and chopped sun dried tomatoes to the pan and sauté until well combined with onions, garlic, spices, and oil. Turn off the heat temporarily.
- Prepare Lentils: Drain cooked lentils using a fine sieve, rinsing with clear water to prevent discoloration of the sauce. Add the lentils to the sauté pan and turn heat back on.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour in vegetable stock and cover the pan to simmer for 10 minutes, uncovering in the last few minutes to thicken the sauce as the lentils absorb the liquid.
- Finish with Cream and Cheese: Reduce heat to very low and stir in heavy cream, grated parmesan or hard cheese, and chopped basil. Heat gently until cheese melts and basil wilts into the sauce.
- Rest and Serve: Cover and let the lentils sit for 5 minutes to thicken further. Stir once more and serve warm with fresh lemon wedges for squeezing.
Notes
- If using canned lentils, rinse them thoroughly to remove excess sodium and prevent muddy sauce color.
- Sun dried tomato oil adds great flavor; if unavailable, use olive oil and add sun dried tomato pieces as indicated.
- Adjust cream quantity for a lighter or richer sauce according to preference.
- For a vegan version, substitute cream with coconut cream or cashew cream and use vegan cheese or nutritional yeast.
- Lemon wedges add brightness; fresh lemon juice can also be stirred into the finished dish if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
