5 from 2 votes
Stewed Lentils with Caramelized Onions and Breadcrumbs
Loosely inspired by the middle eastern dish, mujadara. This recipe uses slows caramelized onions and crunchy za'atar spiced breadcrumbs to add a punch of flavor.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 40 mins
Servings:
2
Course:
Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine:
North American, Mediterranean, French, Middle Eastern
Ingredients
- 1 cup za'atar breadcrumbs (or other homemade breadcrumbs, left coarse)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 onion thinly sliced, sweet
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 3 tsps thyme minced, fresh
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ brandy or white wine
- 2 cups Puy lentils or green lentils
- 3 cups water boiling
Instructions
- Prepare some homemade za'atar breadcrumbs ahead to time. Or make any fresh breadcrumbs.
- Bring a large saute pan or sauce pan to low heat. Add the olive oil, onions, and a pinch of salt and sugar and stew the onions for at least one hour or until the onions are deep brown and caramelized, stirring often. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon leaving the cooking oil in.
- Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and brandy to the pan. Deglaze the pan for about 1 minute, scraping all the brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Then, add the lentils and boiling water. Once the water comes to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 25 minutes, or until the lentils have soaked up most of the water. Taste and adjust for salt.
- Serve the lentils topped with the caramelized onions and za'atar breadcrumbs.
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