New Year’s Day Lentils!

Ingredients

A carrot or two
An onion
A stick or two of celery
A few cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
Dried Tarragon
Red pepper flakes
Optional but really adds a lot: Some greens – spinach, escarole, kale, whatever you have around.
EVOO
2 shallots, minced
1 can of San Marzano whole tomatoes
2 cups of Red Lentils
Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Instructions

In Italy 🇮🇹 lentils are believed to bring good luck for the new year. Growing up a pot of lentils was always served on New Years day. A tradition we all still keep…

The recipe below is from my sister Mia. She makes the best lentils I’ve ever had! 

Step 1
Put 2 large pots on the stove, one slightly bigger than the other

Step 2
In the smaller pot, put all the ingredients for a quick, homemade vegetable broth: a carrot or two, an onion, a stick or two of celery, a few cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves. Cover with water and bring to a gently rolling boil, then down to a simmer. Let the broth cook while you work in the big pot. *DO NOT ADD SALT

Step 3
In the bigger pot add, 5-6 tablespoons olive oil, 2 shallots minced, 1 large or 2 small celery stalk chopped, 1 large or two small carrots chopped. When the celery and carrots are softened, add 1 tablespoon dried tarragon, + red pepper flakes, to taste. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add 1 can of San Marzano whole tomatoes, squeezed out (you can do it right over the pot with your hands). Let that cook for 10 minutes or so, then add 2 cups red lentils. Let that blend for a couple of minutes, then start adding the broth, a ladleful at a time. As it cooks down, add more broth, so it is always moist. Salt to taste. Should be done in 40 minutes to an hour, depending on your lentils.

Step 4
Grate some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, add a few swirls of EVOO and serve with crusty bread and a glass of vino! 

Chef’s Notes

• Very important - Do not add salt to the lentils or the broth, until the lentils are cooked!

• If you find you’re running out of broth, add more water to broth pot, and repeat Step 2

• You can add rice to make it more hearty