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5.0 from 3 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 10 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 sweet onions, (thinly sliced)
  • 1 teaspoon Salt, (plus more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 cloves of garlic, (minced)
  • 3 tsps fresh thyme, (minced)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¼ brandy, (or white wine)
  • 2 cups Puy lentils, (or green lentils)
  • 3 cups boiling water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare some homemade za'atar breadcrumbs ahead to time. Or make any fresh breadcrumbs.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Serve the lentils topped with the caramelized onions and za'atar breadcrumbs.