Last Friday, my husband went to the dentist for what we thought was going to be a fairly ordinary appointment. It wasn’t.
Somewhere between the examination and the drilling, a simple filling turned into a root canal. Five injections into his gums and nearly three hours in the chair later, he came home sore, exhausted, and understandably a little traumatized. And because apparently one round of dental torture wasn’t enough, they couldn’t finish the job that day. He has to go back next Friday for round two.
So for the next few days, meals need to be soft. This is where these lentils came in.
I made a bowl for him and pureed his portion until it was smooth enough to eat without any trouble. What I love about this dish, though, is that it doesn’t feel like something you make because someone has a sore mouth. It’s warm and hearty, full of earthy lentils, sweet roasted potatoes, greens, and just enough curry and smoked paprika to give everything some depth.
The lentils bring protein and fiber, the sweet potatoes add a little sweetness and color, and the lemon and honey at the end brighten everything up. It’s one of those meals that happens to be vegetarian, but doesn’t feel like it’s missing anything.
Sometimes a recipe comes together because you’re craving something. Sometimes it comes together because someone you love needs something a little gentler. This one was the latter.
Ingredients
1 bag brown lentils
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves
1/2 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 lemon, juiced
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon honey
Salt to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Place them on a baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss until evenly coated and roast until the potatoes are tender and beginning to brown, about 25–30 minutes.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, rinse the lentils thoroughly under running water and drain.
Transfer the lentils to a pressure cooker with the stock and fresh thyme. Cook until tender, following the instructions for your pressure cooker. If using a stovetop pressure cooker, this should take about 25 minutes.
While the lentils cook, finely chop the onion, celery, and red pepper. Finely chop four of the garlic cloves, reserving the remaining two.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, and bay leaf. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
Add the curry powder and smoked paprika and stir well, allowing the spices to coat the vegetables and become fragrant.
Once the lentils are tender, transfer them, along with their cooking liquid, to the pot with the vegetables and spices. Season with salt and stir well. Taste and add a little more curry powder if you’d like a deeper curry flavor.
Add the chopped spinach and green onions and stir until the spinach wilts.
Squeeze in the lemon juice, then add the honey. Grate the remaining two garlic cloves directly into the lentils and stir everything together. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven once they are golden brown on the outside and soft and tender inside.
Ladle the lentils into bowls, top with the roasted sweet potatoes, and finish with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
For a softer meal, puree the lentils and sweet potatoes together until
2 comments