Lentil and Tomato Stew

Even people who swear they don’t abide beans find pleasure in the distinctive, profound flavor of lentils. They cook quickly, so for stews and soups, 40 to 45 minutes will suffice. Lentils never need to be soaked and for those of you who are sensitive to beans, you will be happy to hear that they don’t contain sulfur, the gas-creating compound present in most beans.

Ingredients

• 2 cups / 14 ounces brown or green lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 6 cups of water
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves, to taste, minced
• A bouquet garni made with 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs each thyme and parsley, and if desired, a Parmesan rind
• Salt to taste
• 1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds tomatoes, cut in wedges if you have a food mill, seeded and grated if you don’t
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 or 2 basil sprigs, plus 2 to 4 tablespoons slivered basil (to taste)
• Freshly grated Parmesan for topping
• Toasted bread rubbed with garlic for serving (optional)

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

    302 calories; 4 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 50 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 549 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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6 servings

Preparation

1. In a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven, combine lentils, water, onion, half the garlic, and bouquet garni. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked through but still have some texture. They should not be mushy. Taste and adjust salt. Using tongs, remove onion and bouquet garni.
2. Meanwhile, make tomato sauce in a separate pan. Heat oil over medium heat and add garlic. When it smells fragrant but before it browns, after about 30 seconds of sizzling, add tomatoes and stir together. Add sugar, salt, and basil sprigs and turn heat to medium-high so tomatoes come to a brisk simmer. Turn heat down to medium and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes have cooked down to thick, fragrant sauce, about 20 minutes. Remove basil sprigs.
3. If using unpeeled tomatoes and a food mill, put sauce through fine blade of the mill. Add tomato sauce to lentils, stir together, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes. The mixture should be fairly thick, a stew rather than a soup. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust salt. Stir in slivered basil.
4. Serve in wide bowls, over optional garlic bruschette. Sprinkle Parmesan over each serving if desired.

• Advance preparation: This will keep for 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator.

About 55 minutes