La Bomba
August 23rd, 2005
If you think you don’t like lentils, get over it. They are good for you and you’ll hardly recognize them in this warm salad. If you like lentils, try these. This was the best thing I ate in Paris and one of the best things ever.
Salade de Lenteilles Auvergnaise
About a pound of large green lentils– or other
1 carrot chopped very fine
1 1/2 small onion chopped fine
2 Tbsp olive oili
2 cubes or spoons of vegetable broth beads or bouillon
about 2 ounces of country style ham cut into batons of about 1/3 inch by 2″
about 1/4 cup good strong French style mustard
about 2 Tbsp of dry mustard powder mixed with water to form a creamy paste and left to develop flavor
Warm a large heavy pot, and put in the oil, the carrots, onion and ham. Sauté’ until the onion is clear. Add the lentils, stirring them into the mixture, then cover with hot water to about an inch over them. Simmer until the lentils are almost done, adding water as needed, then add salt but keep it just a little less salty than if you were eating them alone.
Take about 1/3 of the lentils out of the pot and stir in the prepared mustard. Start stirring in the homemade mustard and tasting. It should go right up your nose without burning your tongue very badly. Take it all the way to hot, stirring and tasting, because you have the other lentils to draw back with if you go too far.
This should jump right on your tongue, make your nose run, and the lentils should remain firmish. If they break up a bit, add more mustard and then add back some of the whole ones.
Served warm as a first course, like soup.
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5 Comments Add your own
1. Annika | August 23rd, 2005 at 3:46 pm
Wow! Just the other day I was wondering on what to do with that can of lentils I have standing in the refrigerator. I thought of posting a question but never got around to it. Now I don’t need to! :)
2. The Missus Complains | August 23rd, 2005 at 4:14 pm
I have always loved lentils and love green pea soup.
3. Judith in Umbria | August 24th, 2005 at 5:52 am
Oh Annika! They’ll be so soft! Lentils are quick and easy from dried state, so do try another time from scratch. If properly done, these will be too hot for your baby, but he could grow into it.
Lentil soup, lentils in soups or stews, lentils as a side vegetable dish, endless possibilities.
Missus, good on you.
4. Annika | August 24th, 2005 at 7:31 am
hm okay, I guess I’ll wait then until I get to the store to buy dry lentils. Those are much cheaper too! I have never thought that I like lentils, but I’m determined to find a way to make them good because they are both cheap and healthy. This recipe sounds promising!
5. Judith in Umbria | August 25th, 2005 at 6:16 am
Annika, maybe you think you don’t like them because you have only tried them boiled in a can?
Start with a soffrito of onion, carrot and celery cut fine, sauteed in some oil, then the lentils and water simmered until almost done, salted at the end. You can sometimes use some ham or bacon as well, but it really isn’t necessary for most dishes.
The lentils of Castelleuci (sp) are as tiny as mustard seeds and are entirely different again from the various Indian, Italian and French ones.
Daals are also very nice. With your extraordinary command of English, the internet has hundreds of lentil possibilities.
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