Roast Tomato Braised Lentils

Daria Souvorova

2 hours
serves: 4-6

My parents came for dinner this past weekend and I wanted to create something hearty and reminiscent of the harvest. I have a plethora of tomatoes growing in my garden, and am actively seeking for ways to use them up. Nico has been talking about eating more lentils, so I wanted to incorporate lentil and tomato here. I decided to roast the tomatoes with some garlic cloves, onion, and bacon for about an hour before slowly braising with the red wine. If you are in a hurry, you can simply sauté the bacon, tomato, and onions for a similar result.

We served the dish with some crusty olive bread and some Ratatouille. We had a plum cobbler for dessert. Stay tuned for the recipes in the coming days!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds tomatoes, halved if large
• 3 large onions, slivered
• 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
• 6 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of your knife
• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 4 sprigs thyme, stems discarded
• 4 sprigs oregano, leaves chopped
• 2 cups Puy or other green lentils, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 4-5 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Brown bacon in a large Dutch oven, for about five minutes.
3. Remove from heat and toss in tomatoes, onions, garlic, and olive oil. Do not season.
4. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and roast for about an hour, mixing every 10-15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and add the lentils. Toss to coat and sauté for a few minutes. Deglaze with wine.
6. Add the stock and remaining ingredients, save for salt.
7. Stew covered for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. Once thick and softm stir in the salt.