Lentils with Tahini

In some past life, I think I must have lived in the Middle East, as I crave nothing more than feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves, lentils, pilafs, hummus, baba ganoush, etc. When I was in college I make near weekly treks to the local Middle Eastern grocery store to buy feta in bulk. The tradition continued when we lived in Minneapolis, and I remember vividly one very frigid Saturday morning climbing over a mountain of old snow piled high in a parking lot just to get into the front door to buy feta. Salt is clearly a motivator…

A few years ago we purchased all of the Ottolenghi cookbooks — what a find! Although most of the recipes are too involved for weeknight cooking (for me, anyways), I adore them. One of my favorite recipes is from Plenty More called Crushed Puy Lentils with Tahini and Cumin; below is my greatly modified version.

Growing up my parents always had lentil soup for New Years’ day for good luck. Unfortunately, they ruined the soup by cooking the lentils with a massive ham hock. The memory of the smell even now makes my stomach turn… Today I make my very modified version of Ottolenghi’s lentils every New Years’ day, and a few other times throughout the year, too. Despite the less than appetizing photo above, I crave this dish.

Print Recipe

Lentils with Tahini

Cuisine

Middle Eastern

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

45 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 cup French lentils (They are similar to the Le Puy lentils, but just grown in a different region)
• 2 Tablespoons butter I used organic ghee infused with turmeric from Trader Joe's the last time I made them -- amazing!
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
• 1 28oz can organic whole tomatoes Puree or crush before adding to lentils
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup cilantro Optional

Cuisine Middle Eastern Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 45 minutes Servings people Ingredients 1 cup French lentils (They are similar to the Le Puy lentils, but just grown in a different region) 2 Tablespoons butter I used organic ghee infused with turmeric from Trader Joe's the last time I made them -- amazing! 2 Tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped 2 teaspoons cumin, ground 1 28oz can organic whole tomatoes Puree or crush before adding to lentils 1/4 cup tahini 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup cilantro Optional

Instructions

1. Cook lentils in a saucepan with a ton water. Usually, they take about 20-30 minutes, depending on their age, etc. Drain and rinse with cool water. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, add butter and oilive oil. Once warm, add cumin and garlic and cook for one minute or until fragrant -- be mindful not to burn the garlic.
3. Add tomatoes and cooked lentils. Once all ingredients are thoroughly mixed and warm, add tahini and lemon juice. Cook for another five minutes, adding a little water if the consistency is too thick.
4. Serve warm or room temperature with a garnish of cilantro. It's also really tasty with a sprinkle of feta cheese on top. The original recipe serves with red onion, hard-boiled egg and a sprinkle of paprika -- all of which would be delightful, but certainly not necessary.
5. We eat this with rice and a salad for a complete dinner, or it can also be served as a very hearty side dish.

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