There was a time in my life where lentils made up at least 75% of my diet.
This was back when I mainly cooked for one and when the esthetics of a dish weren’t too important to me. Lentils, as everyone is keenly aware, are just hard to make beautiful. They’re greenish brown and mushy and despite the fact that you can make them taste remarkable, they just won’t turn heads.
But recently, I’m giving lentils another chance to shine. I’m trying to figure out how to make one of my favorite ingredients more appealing to the eye. And I think I’ve found it—as a backdrop to this remarkably tasty Portabella mushroom dish with a stunning roasted (really more like charred) red pepper sauce.
We’re using up what I have to imagine is the last of the summer red peppers from the CSA this week with this perfect sauce, which is basically romesco minus the tomato and sub walnuts for almonds because that’s more my style. This sauce is a lovely addition to potatoes or eggs or just spread on crusty bread but it also pairs nicely with mushrooms and with these lentils that I just keep talking about.
Listen to me when I say that you want the skin of the red pepper to be basically burnt when you take it out of the broiler. That smoky flavor mixes perfectly with the paprika and gives the sauce more depth, which in turn pops against the simple lentils and chewy mushrooms.
With all the meat and grilling we’ve been doing this summer, it’s nice to get back to a vegetarian—vegan, in fact—dish that lacks nothing in flavor. Plus my homey lentils. I’ve missed you guys.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 cup green lentils, dry
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 large red bell pepper, halved and seeds removed
- Olive oil
- 1 large garlic clove, smashed
- ¼ cup walnuts
- 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 pounds Portabella mushrooms (about 8 mushrooms), cut into ½ inch strips
- Kosher salt
- Parsley for garnish
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add in lentils and stir to coat, then pour in broth and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, turn broiler on high. Place peppers, cut side down on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Rub olive oil into skin and place under broiler for 8-12 minutes, until skin is nicely charred. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- In a food processor, pulse together garlic, walnuts, apple cider vinegar, paprika, and salt. Add in charred red pepper and pulse. Slowly add in olive oil and pulse until sauce is thick and smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until they start to soften and release juices, about 10 minutes.
- Divide lentils among 6 plates. Top with mushrooms, drizzle red pepper sauce, and sprinkle parsley on top.
The post Portabella Mushrooms and Lentils with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce appeared first on Things I Made Today.
