French green lentils are smaller than others, and cook up firm with a nice bite – not mushy. I find them in the Whole Foods bulk aisle.
For on the boat: In the morning, chop onions, carrot, celery, and garlic; cover and refrigerate.
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 med. onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. mustard seed
- 1 tsp. fennel seed
- 1 ¾ c. vegetable stock
- 1 c. French green lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
- 1 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 Tbs. sherry or red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground pepper
In a large saucepan, sauté onion, carrot and celery in 1 Tbs. olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, mustard seed, and fennel seed and sauté until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock, lentils, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender but still firm, about 25-30 minutes. Drain the lentils, reserving the cooking liquid, and discard the bay leaf. Transfer to large bowl.
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, and remaining olive oil. Add the vinaigrette, parsley, salt and pepper to the lentils and toss gently to mix and coat evenly. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed. Serve warm, but it’s also good cold, especially left over. Serves 6.