Braised Puy Lentils

Simple braised puy lentils are easy to make but so delicious and comforting. Enjoy these French lentils as a main, with sausages, or serve cold as a salad. You will return to this recipe again and again.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 medium onion (2)
• 1 stick celery (2)
• 1 medium carrot (2)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 200 g Puy lentils (1)
• 1 stock cube / pot vegetable or chicken
• 720 ml water
• 2 tbsp wine
• 1 tbsp grain Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp tomato puree / paste

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Prepare the vegetables - Onion – peel and finely diceCelery – trim and finely diceCarrot – trim, peel and finely diceGarlic – peel and chop
2. 2Sauté the vegetables - Add the olive oil into a shallow skillet, that has a well fitting lid and gently sweat the onion, celery and carrots over a low heat until fragrant, stirring to avoid catching. They should become soft and tender without colouring. This will take about 4-5 minutes.Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
3. 3Add the lentils and herbs - Add the puy lentils and herbs, stir in and sauté for another minute.
4. 4Add the stock - Make up the stock in about ⅔ of the water. Add the stock. I don’t season at this stage, as depending which brand of stock you use, you might not need additional salt. Also many people say that it makes the lentil skins tough.Cover with the lid and simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils have started to soften. Check and stir halfway through.
5. 5Finish cooking - Towards the end of cooking you can add some more stock needed (if the lentils are dry and are not cooked), or a glug of red or white wine.Once cooked the lentils should be soft, but retaining some bite, and not dry. Add more liquid if needed.
6. 6Season and serve - Stir and season to taste if needed. I like to garnish with parsley to serve.