Braised Lentils with Beetroot, Spring Greens, Yoghurt & Herbs

I tend to make up a big batch of the lentils, which are good year-round, and then add what I have on hand that day or is in season, such as the garlic yoghurt from the roasted cauliflower and apricot salad recipe (page 60), soft cheese, green sauce, fermented chilli sauce, etc. Really take advantage of the platform to uplift any ingredients that take your fancy: spring greens can be torn and wilted in the lentils; quartered boiled beetroot, roasted squash or leeks can be stirred through; top with hard-boiled eggs; mix through some curry oil and top with fried curry leaves to go down an Indian route; add a can or two of plum tomatoes with the stock and serve with mashed or boiled potatoes. You can’t really go wrong with experimentation here; the lentils welcome many a pairing. Use any white wine or cider. I often have leftover bits that happily end up in pots like these; you want something to add a bit of acid to the overall dish.

SERVES 8

FOR THE LENTILS

– 50g (1.oz) neutral oil (such as groundnut or sunflower)

– 4 carrots, peeled and sliced 1cm thick

– 4 small onions, quartered

– 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and roughly diced

– 3 celery sticks, sliced

– 5 garlic cloves, roughly sliced

– 250ml (9fl oz) white wine or cider

– 500g (1lb 2oz) lentils, rinsed and any obvious stones or husks removed

– sea salt flakes and black pepper

TO SERVE

– 200g (7oz) spring greens, trimmed

– 750g (1lb 10oz) boiled beetroot (about 6), quartered

– 250g (85g/5oz) yoghurt

– large handful of soft herbs, such as dill, parsley, chervil, chopped

– extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1. Heat a large pan big enough to fit everything once cooked over a medium heat. Add the oil, swiftly followed by the carrots, onions, fennel, celery and garlic. Give everything a lively stir to combine and get it evenly coated in oil. Let this mix soften slightly for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook the veg further if you prefer, but don’t let anything colour too much as you want the end result to be bright without too much caramelization.

2. Add the wine or cider, let the alcohol evaporate for 30 seconds and then add the lentils and enough water to cover.

3. Simmer the lentils for 45 minutes or until they are done (check by trying one). Keep the liquid levels topped up to keep everything moving. Once cooked, season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Tear the spring greens and wilt into the lentils, stir in the quartered beetroot, top with the yoghurt and chopped herbs, then drizzle with oil to serve.

This recipe is from Your Daily Veg by Joe Woodhouse