French Green Lentils Roasted With Carrots And Beets
I’m really excited about this recipe for a few reasons. First, it looks super easy, healthy and delicious. Anything that hits in those 3 departments is a winner in my book. Second, while beets and carrots are awesome this time of year, they are pretty easy to find year round, making this a recipe you can go to anytime you need something easy, healthy and delicious. Win – Win.
French green lentils aren’t always easy to find, but you can order them online at Zursun, a great source for getting heirloom beans and lentils.
Huge thanks to Allison Boomer for the recipe. Allison is an artisanal food expert, marketing professional, writer and nutritionist. She partners with people and businesses who share a passion for handcrafted food. She’d love to connect with you on Facebook.
French Green Lentils Roasted With Carrots And Beets
by Allison Boomer
Robust, earthy flavor and beautiful deep fall green color make French green lentils – also known as Lentilles du Puy – one of the world’s finest legumes.
In this recipe lentils are oven roasted with caramelized carrots, beets, shallots and savory thyme. Finished with a splash of red wine vinegar and fresh parsley, the easy-to-prepare dish (no pot watching on the stove) is satisfying on its own or as a side dish.
- 1½ cup French green lentils
- 3 small beets, peeled and diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 4 shallots, peeled and halved
- 6 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Sort and rinse lentils in cool water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place beets, carrots, shallots and 3 tbsp. olive oil in a medium-size roasting pan. Coat vegetables evenly with oil. Add thyme, salt and pepper and cook in oven until vegetables begin to brown, about 20 minutes. Add lentils, 3 cups of water, stir, then cover pan with foil. Cook until lentils are tender and all water is absorbed, about one hour. Remove pan from oven, remove thyme spring and dress lentils with vinegar and remaining oil. Cool slightly and stir in chopped parsley. Adjust salt and pepper and serve.
Have you tried roasting lentils?
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It looks like an Indian recipe. I use the following recipe to make lentil soup to have with rice.
A tablespoon of butter or ghee, curry leaves and lentil. I put ghee and add mustard seeds, when I hear the cracking noise, I add curry leaves and fry them a minute or two. I boil lentil separately, when it is done I add the seasonings to it. Add this soup/mixture to rice, it tastes delicious.
I love beets, but I hate working with them. My kitchen is too small and cluttered to deal with the inevitable red, staining splatter. I’ll stick to letting restaurants prepare them!
Very well balanced recipe. I have seen french green lentils in Whole Foods market. I have never cooked lentils in the oven, have always done it in stovetop or ricecooker. Must try out this way.
This looks good. Going to try it, thanks.
Hey you could have called this Lentils and Carrots and Beets… oh my! (no, you’re right, that would have been silly)
It has never crossed my mind that lentils could be roasted.
By the way, I tried that chickpea pasta recipe during weekend and it was delicious. Didn’t leave me feeling bloated like eating pasta often does.
If I’m not careful you’re going to turn me into food geek, Darya! 🙂
I’m definitely making this tonight! I love beets, but am relatively inexperienced cooking them. All I’ve ever done is roast w/ skin on, then peel. I’ve never thought to peel first, then roast! I’ve never roasted lentils either. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Oh my! I’m thrilled to find this recipe for French lentils (even though I hate beets, if they’re hidden enough, the dirt flavor isn”t *so* bad. :)) French lentils are one of the most decadent, delicate foods I’ve had the pleasure of consuming. They’re like the itty bitty bubbles in really good champagne. I became a fan on a visit to Paris and have been wanting to try cooking them for myself ever since. BTW, no, it’s not any harder to eat vegan in Paris than it is in any other major city I’ve been to. And they don’t half-ass their vegan food either. Every chance you get to eat is a fantastic opportunity. I can’t wait to go back, but the lentils will have to hold me for now…they’re a lot cheaper than a plane ticket!
Roasting is with dry heat, isn’t it? So, the root veg is roasted. The lentils are not (covered with foil and in water).