Stewed Lentils with Marinated Feta
Hearty Stewed Lentils with Marinated Feta is a comforting vegetarian dish with rustic, rich flavors. Serve as a satisfying main dish, and enjoy leftovers on repeat!
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Large oven-safe pot or Dutch oven with fitted lid
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 4 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Pinch of chili flakes or a few grinds of black pepper
- 1 cup petite lentils, such as French (Le Puy) lentils or black (Beluga) lentils*
- 4 cups water
- 4 medium to large carrots, sliced at a diagonal into 2" long pieces
- 1 bay leaf or sprig of fresh rosemary
- 1 1/4 tsp. salt
- Crusty bread for serving (optional)
Marinated Feta (optional)
- 5 oz. feta cheese, crumbled or broken into chunks
- 3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp. lemon zest, plus 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Pinch of salt and cracked black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.Add olive oil to an oven-safe sauté pan or Dutch oven with a fitted lid over medium heat. Add onion; cook for about 10 minutes, until soft.Stir in garlic, tomato paste, fennel seeds, cumin, cinnamon, and chili flakes (or black pepper); cook 3 more minutes, until the tomato paste is caramelized and spices are fragrant.
- Add lentils, water, carrots, bay leaf, and salt; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, and transfer pan to preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour, until the lentils are tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed.
- Meanwhile, prepare Marinated Feta by combining feta, dill, parsley, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Let sit at room temperature while lentils cook.
- Remove lentils from the oven and give them a good stir. Remove bay leaf. Spoon marinated feta mixture overtop (if using), and serve with crusty bread.
Notes
*If you can't find petite lentils, any variety of green or brown lentils will work. I just prefer the heartier texture of petite for this dish.
*If you're not using the marinated feta as a topping, I suggest stirring in 1 Tbsp. of sherry vinegar right before serving, along with a drizzle of tahini.
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Store the marinated feta separately.
- Reheat: Rewarm lentils in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium heat. Since the lentils tend to soak up liquid the longer they sit, add a splash of water or broth to loosen and revive the mixture.
- Freeze: Let lentils come close to room temperature before transferring them to a freezer-safe storage bag. Remove as much air as possible, and lay flat in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When ready to reheat, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
- Marinated Feta should NOT be frozen. Prepare a fresh batch when ready to reheat leftovers, or opt for a tahini drizzle instead.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.75cup lentils with 3 Tbsp. marinated feta | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 5.5g | Sodium: 1020mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g