french green lentils
March 25, 2014 § 82 Comments
Garnering inspiration from Johnny’s Kitschnflavours and Gwynne’s The Crafty Cook Nook, led me to prepare lentils twice in the last seven days! It was this post that started it off and then this post sent me to the market in search of puy lentils. What I found were “french green lentils” and although I am not sure if they are “Puy” lentils, characteristically speaking they have similar qualities from the descriptions I have read. These lentils are small, plump and have a somewhat nutty flavor. They hold their shape and size after cooking and do not get mushy and muddied. My french green lentils were well worth the small fortune I spent on them. There is no comparison to the regular brown lentils I have stored in my cupboard.
This recipe is from Gwynne’s lovely blog. Using my french green lentils I set out following her recipe and it turned out wonderfully! We added a bit more chili for heat and served it with warm naan.
I n g r e d i e n t s
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 jalepeño or serrano chile, seeded and minced
- 2 cups french green lentils, rinsed
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes in juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 avocado, cut for topping
- handful fresh cilantro leaves, torn
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
M e t h o d
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and just golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and coriander seeds, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the jalepeño, lentils, stock, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, and salt. Raise the heat to medium high, cover loosely, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes, depending on how much bite you like in your lentils. Just before serving, warm the naan in a griddle and place in a warm cloth on the table. Spoon the lentils into bowls, and top with avocado, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE 
I’m so glad this worked out well, and it’s good to know that green lentils work, too. I have a jar of them in my pantry that need to be used this spring. Thanks for sharing the recipe. :)
We we so impressed with the lentils. It really was a great meal to put together midweek and have leftovers for lunch for a few days! I’ll have to buy red lentils next time. Thank you for the inspiration.
Just made a red lentil-carrot soup yesterday! (recipe from Shanna at Curls and Carrots) Good food for this kind of year–not summer, but wanting to climb out from the deep, dark hole that is winter ;-)
Love that you hit this one with spice, too! Oh, yum.
Oh my! Red lentil-carrot soup sounds fantastic! We are feeling like we are emerging from our caves over here in the dark Pacific Northwest for sure. A bunch of hibernating bears.
I agee green or red lentils are much better than brown. Your recipe looks delicious.
I’ll have to buy red lentils next time. This was a fabulous recipe and I needed to get it on my blog to document it! :)
Oh this is such a wonderful soup, I am a big fan of lentils, any kind.
Thank you. Love lentils too, even more now that I have discovered an even better lentil…french green lentils. Have you tried them? I’m beginning to think I am the only one who never bought them before. Glad to have discovered them…thanks to Johnny!
Looks delicious! I have yet to experiment with lentils – you are definitely encouraging me to tackle that front! So hearty – perfect for the snow outside (still.) :)
Wow! Still snow? Goodness, what a long winter. Yes, lentils would be a perfect warming dish to make while still experiencing inclement weather. This is so good with tortilla chips too! That is one idea with the leftovers. :)
Yes, we got another 3″ today! Unbelievable, really. I bet this is good on baguette too – a hearty appetizer of sorts!
So comforting!
Hi Rosa. :) Thank you…
That sounds and looks really delicious!
Dear Cottage Grovw,
What a simple and awesome recipe! This is how most of the lentils and daals are prepared in my house :).
Really? I sure love this recipe and I know I would love to sit at your dinner table. I want to try cooking daal. Perhaps your blog has some recipes posted already. If so, I’ll certainly come over for a visit and try one of your recipes.
Anytime my dear!
Fantastic! Lentils are a wonder legume! They make a great lentil loaf, too!
I would really like to try lentil loaf. You just sparked my curiosity. I’ll have to look for some recipes. Thank you!
:-)
We love lentils here too, There are so many different types, each with it’s own unique characteristic. Green lentils are fab because they hold there shape. Love the sound of this dish Seana
We love them too and I think I need to put them on high rotation. Looking forward to trying some other types too. Especially black beluga lentils. So interesting!
That looks so good and healthy! I bet the avocado tastes great in this!
Loved the avocado on this Nancy, and the squeezed lime too. A very delicious one pot dinner! Thank you for your comment and stopping in today.
Lovely. I had a lentil soup for lunch today and it was a disappointment. This would not disappoint at all!
I have had a few disappointing lentil soups myself, unfortunately. This is spot on.
Oh, this looks yum! I should eat more lentil, too. I’ll try those soon! Thanks for the recipe.
It’s a new phase for us. Not necessarily becoming a vegetarian, but trying to cut back a bit on meat. It’s hard having a 16 year old “young man” in the house. He eats non-stop! Thank goodness he likes lentils. :)
So timely. I just bought a ton of them from y market. I added them to a beef chili to add a little more health, taste, and fiber to an otherwise boring dish. They helped immensely. Your recipe will be next!
We were just talking about using lentils in chili. Nice to hear it works well. The avocado, lime and fresh cilantro was a very nice addition, if you like those make sure to add them, you’ll be so delighted!
lentils are so hot right now! soooo, where did you end up finding them? I’m looking for these and beluga lentils…
Hi there! Found them at the Metropolitan Market here in Seattle. It’s a bit of an upscale market. Here is a link to the brand I bought. It’s called Trikona. They had beluga lentils too. http://www.cpff.net/list.php?category=1&type=brands&brand=TRIKONA. Incidentally…had I not replied after receiving the fantastic chocolate? I can’t tell you how much we enjoyed it! I had to take one of the bars to work with me to have a square everyday after lunch! They were out of this world delicious. Thank you!
I love lentils. The heat, spices, aromatics and herbs in your dish sound delicious, particularly with a nice balance of acid from the limes. You are so creative in your recipes and take notes from bloggers, books and beyond. This is one more example, Seana.
You are always so kind and full of encouragement! Thank you Shanna…hope you are feeling good! What’s your craving?
After reading your post, I am craving lentils! :-) I think we are having leftover bolognese ragu for dinner though… haha.
This is beautiful Seana… I love the combination of flavors that are here.. you took some deep spicy flavors such as the turmeric, coriander, and chile…and added a light and refreshing spin to them with the twist of lime, cilantro, and avocado! Delicious. I love your presentation.. :-)
Thank you. :) I have to give all the credit to the crafty cook nook. Her lentil recipe came at a perfect time. Johnny’s lentil posts were enough to get me to the market to buy them and prepare his salad, then seeing Gwynne’s post was great because I had everything on hand to make it! Don’t you love it when it all comes together like this?
Really love this dish and will have to give it a try. I’m extremely fond of lentils but have never looked for the French green ones. Your photograph is gorgeous and photographing lentil dishes is a special challenge. (At least for me…).
I bet your lentil recipe was really good. That happens to me quite often. I have plenty of unpublished posts because the photo’s look bad. I’m glad to see daylight savings time, that really helps. :)
Oh really? I’m so glad to hear that from you… I bought some green lentils just yesterday… I was curious, since, exactly like you, I always have bought the brown one… the purpose of my purchase was a lentil börek… now I have one more recipe to try! thanks for sharing!
Hmmm. Never heard of a lentil börek. Perhaps you will be posting it? I’ll keep my eye on your blog. :) After cooking through a whole package of green lentils I’m certain they are better than the brown ones. Thank you for visiting!
Looks damn fine my friend. I’m pretty sure French green lentils are the same as du puy… Maybe just more generic and not region specific… Maybe. Anyway, I would happily eat that in my face.
I think you are right. They fit the description spot on. :)
I am a soup Fan and this looks so amazing, healthy and yummy :)
Thank you, I’m a huge soup fan myself! I could eat soup every day of the week, year long! :)
It’s been ages since I’ve cooked up some lentils. Now I’ve got garbanzo beans and lentils to work on. Looks like a good recipe and I’m always happy when something is topped with avocado.
Hi Wendy. Looks like it is time to start cooking some legumes! It has been a nice change for us to cut back on meat, which is a little difficult with our growing teenage son. I’m pleased he has been enjoying the variety and change. Let me know if you get a chance to try one of the legume recipes. :) I bet Orcas is beautiful right now.
It is- do you ever get up this way? Did I already ask you that? My daughter is 15:) 16 in July…
It has been awhile…two years, I think. We spent aThanksgiving with friends in a rented house. I didn’t know you have a daughter my son’s age! :) I’m sure we could share a story or two…
this looks so good! :)
Delish! I also have a jar of these lentils in the pantry that I’ve been pondering a use for it. Will make this for sure :)
Oh good! It goes together so quickly and it is such a wonderful one bowl meal. Great leftovers too!
Oh, this looks lovely. I completely forgot about that hearty soup I promised. Coming soon but as you’ve said, it is suddenly all blooms out & spring-like that I got carried away with more wild garlic, asparagus, tuna. A warm spring hello back in Europe, N.
It’s so easy to get carried away with wild garlic, asparagus and tuna, I don’t blame you at all…. :)
I love French green lentils too! This dish looks so flavorful and satisfying :)
Thank you! :)
This looks delicious! I adore lentils.
Yum!
Making this tonight, need a couple of things from the market. This is wonderful and just what I am craving. Will report back after I make it.
Great! I’m making your turnip soup tonight and looking forward to it. Don’t forget the lime! It’s so good with this!
The soup was the absolute perfect meal. I loved the spices and the touch if heat from the pepper. You were so right about the lime and I am glad that I bought them. I had with some flatbread and a cucumber and tomato salad. The leftovers tomorrow will be even better I sure. Thank you for such a wonderful soup. I don’t think I can eat plain lentil soup again after having this. Loved it!
I love lentil, I’m pretty often making some salads with it (adding feta and capsicums). Your dish looks so comforting and delicious!
Lentil salad with capsicum and feta sounds great. I’m fairly new with preparing lentils but I can see myself making salads with them often. Thank you. :)
These look delicious- I love lentil dishes!
Mm this looks wonderful, especially with the avocado on top.
Hi Mary Frances! Thank you. It was so nice to see you here today…
Stunning and inspired!! I love lentils so much. For Christmas two years ago I made a warm lentil salad with scallops and foie gras… It was divine! I will try this beautiful recipe of yours!
Oooh. Sounds lovely. I imagine these wonderful green lentils are commonly found in your region. I really had to search for them and I’m not sure if I got the best quality. Delicious, but something tells me there are even better ones! :)
So interesting– I”ve always been content with my ordinary brown lentils–or maybe going wild and tracking down some of the orange variety. Now you’ve got me looking for French green lentils–to see how much better they are. thanks!
Hi Rhonda. I have always used brown lentils too until I was enlightened through Johnny’s blog. I have seen the orange variety and have not bought them. I’m curious now. Hope you find French green lentils, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
This looks delicious. So you noticed a difference. I’ve used red lentils before and they’re better than the brown ones, but these sound like they’re actually tasty! I love that you added jalepenos. You and I eat so similarly.
I have noticed we eat similarly. Every time I visit you blog I want to stop what I am doing to get started in the kitchen making your recipes. I’m getting ready to make your almond soup again. I keep think about it. :)
I feel the same way!
yummm…looks great. I love all kinds of lentil soup.
following your blog now too. :)
Hi Geraldine! Thank you for stopping in. And following too…
From what I can tell from your photo those are probably Puy lentils. They certainly look marbled and with differing shades, including yellow. I’m glad you enjoyed them. Especially as they sound expensive! They’re relatively cheap over here. Funny, I’ve never seen brown lentils here. Only ever normal green and split red. Anyway, thanks for the link. Don’t know why but I looked at this post yesterday without reading it! Must’ve been editing – getting sooo bored with formatting posts. Hardly know what I’m doing anymore. :)
Oh, and you like your ginger.
So would love to taste those baby turnips! We don’t get those. Only mature ones.
Baby turnips? Oh, you must be talking about Suzanne’s post. Funny thing, we made each other’s recipes on the same day. The turnip soup was wonderful! Thanks go to you for enlightening me with puy lentils. Really gave me a new appreciation for them. Guess we do like a little ginger…although now that I think about it couldn’t really taste it in this. I think it’s best when cooking a Thai inspired dish. Maybe a theme change is in order? Perhaps it would help your boredom. :) Enjoy the weekend!
This is beautiful! I also like cooking with green / French / puy lentils, and will keep this recipe for next time. Adding avocado and cilantro topping would have added freshness to every spoonful!
ooo marking this one! Last year my friend, who is French, brought me back Puy lentils after one of her visits. They are wonderful. Thanks for posting a vegan recipe ;) (stomach is growling)
What a beautiful way to use cabbage, I can only imagine how wonderful the kitchen must smell when this is baking. Pinned.
I love french green lentils, too! I only finally found them in a local store for the first time recently, so I’ve only made them twice so far… (They really are expensive and hard to find!) I hope they become more widely available… you’re totally right that there’s no comparison to regular brown lentils. This dish sounds delicious!
[…] now and the leftovers are great for breakfast. Another dish on high rotation in our kitchen is this french green lentil recipe I posted back in March; a truly delicious early spring dinner and even […]