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Lentils with Red Wine and Herbs
© Jan Baldwin

Lentils with Red Wine and Herbs

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  • ACTIVE: 30 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 15 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 4
  • •HEALTHY
  • •MAKE-AHEAD
  • •STAFF-FAVORITE

Sophie Dahl fondly refers to this dish as Paris Mash because she used to make it in Paris while visiting an artist friend, Annie Morris. With herbs and a scattering of mâche (a sweet and tender green), the stewy lentils become a perfect combination of soup and salad. French green lentils work best here, because they hold their shape when cooked.

  1. 1 1/2 cups French green lentils (12 ounces)
  2. Salt
  3. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  4. 1 small red onion, finely chopped
  5. 1 garlic clove, minced
  6. 1/4 cup dry red wine
  7. 1 packed cup baby spinach (2 ounces)
  8. 1/2 cup chicken stock
  9. 1 tablespoon crème fraîche
  10. 4 lightly packed cups mâche (2 ounces) or arugula
  11. 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  12. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  13. Freshly ground pepper
  1. In a large saucepan, cover the lentils with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and simmer over moderate heat until tender, 40 minutes. Drain the lentils.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the red onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the lentils and the wine and simmer until the wine has been absorbed, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche. Add the mâche, parsley and cilantro and cook until barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve warm.
Notes One serving 291 cal, 44 gm carb, 5 gm fat, 1 gm sat fat, 18 gm protein,11 gm fiber.