Carrots and Lentils in Olive Oil
- Total Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1cup brown, green or black lentils, rinsed
- 3cups water
- ¼cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1onion, halved lengthwise, then sliced thin across the grain
- 1teaspoon coriander seeds
- 4garlic cloves, minced
- 1½pounds carrots, peeled and sliced thin (about 4 cups sliced)
- 1tablespoon tomato paste dissolved in 1 cup water
- 1teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste
- ½cup chopped fresh mint
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
255 calories; 10 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 689 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine the lentils with 3 cups water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Set a strainer over a bowl, and drain.
- Step 2
Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy casserole or skillet. Add the onion and coriander seeds. Cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and carrots and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, for two to three minutes until the carrots begin to soften. Stir in the dissolved tomato paste, sugar and lentils. Add 1 to 1½ cups of the cooking water from the lentils (enough to cover the lentils), salt to taste and half the mint. Bring to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes until the lentils are tender and much of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from the heat, sprinkle on the remaining mint and serve, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature with cooked whole grains, like bulgur or quinoa.
- Advance preparation: This will keep for three to four days in the refrigerator. The dish is delicious served at room temperature.
Private Notes
Comments
No-one will see this, but: I LOVED this and will make it again and again. It does not need the sugar. Don't even think of adding it. And halve the oil if you are at all fat- or calorie-conscious. Not necessary at all. I have long used coriander seeds in my lentils, and cherished them for the little surprise hit of flavor. But my lentils always tasted muddy. Who knew they just needed more carrots than I thought necessary plus the acidity of some tomato paste? Great recipe.
Delicious!!! I used green lentils, which were just beautiful with the carrots. I skipped the sugar and salt and added less garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe and it worked perfectly for me. Please don't skip the whole coriander seeds and fresh mint--they make the flavor so complex (and if I could find them at my local grocery store, so can you). I did substitute 1 1/2 lbs of pre-washed, crinkle-cut carrot slices to save on the prep time on a weeknight.
Both my husband and a frequent dinner guest thought this was excellent and suggested it be added to the regular rotation. I used black lentils and the only change I made was to substitute 3/4 teaspoon of ground coriander in place of coriander seeds.
Now that I have also made the Spicy Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad, I highly recommend that over this. I had made this before and really liked it. I just made it again today and it's off the list because roasted beats stovetop for the carrots (or sweet potatoes or squash as the case may be). For those of you wanting a more salad-like experience, this might be your go-to.
This dish is a surprising and sweet change from everyday lentils made with mirepoix. We prefer a lighter touch on the garlic, but to each their own. The surprise mini burst or coriander seeds delight the palate. Like other great cooks here, the addition of acidity rounds the flavors out. Using little black lentils adds to the beauty of the dish, but certainly all lentils will work. Try 1/2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and then pass some feta. This recipe deserves more attention!
Perfect and easy! I cooked the lentils to just slightly past al dente, didn't add them back in to cook more, so left the additional lentil water out of the carrot pot. Cooked the carrots and onions until done and liquid was mostly gone. THEN added the cooked lentils. Stirred and let stand until cool. Perfect and lentils did not get over cooked. Put in refrigerator until the next evening's dinner party. All flavors had blended. Served room temp.
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