As promised – the Deborah Madison lentil recipe. They’re the ones you see on the table in the background of this post, a recipe I know by heart. These simple, wine-glazed lentils saw me through my twenties, and then my thirties. I made them often in my first solo apartment in San Francisco. And, because they travel well, they’ve kept me well-fed on a range of flights – Dar es Salaam and Bangkok included. When asked to call out one favorite recipe from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone – this was the recipe I chose.
The Details:
You have some options with this recipe! I go the butter / tarragon route (as opposed to olive oil / parsley), and always use either French or Umbrian green lentils. Deborah calls for red wine, but I sometimes do white (whatever is open, really), and I’ve even swapped in Belgian ale on occasion. What I mean is, red is best, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a bottle open or on hand – use what you have!
Serving Ideas!
Many of you have cooked this recipe over the years and have noted favorite serving ideas. Here are a few stand outs.
- Baked Potatoes: There are a lot of ways to enjoy these lentils, I love them over a perfectly baked potato along with a generous dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream and a shower of finely snipped chives.
- Pockets: Kelly mentioned she might wrap the lentils in filo pastry with some goat cheese for a potluck. Brilliant!
- Donna mentions, “I served it with creme fraiche and arugula over new potatoes. Leftovers were brought to a friend’s to add to the farro she made.”
More Lentil Recipes
101 Cookbooks Membership
Premium Ad-Free membership includes:
-Ad-free content
-Print-friendly recipes
–Spice / Herb / Flower / Zest recipe collection PDF
–Weeknight Express recipe collection PDF
-Surprise bonuses throughout the year