Description
Creamy “Marry Me” Lentils is a comforting, flavorful dish featuring black, brown, or green lentils cooked with aromatic fennel seeds, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, and sundried tomatoes, finished with a luscious blend of heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. Perfect as a hearty main or side dish, served with a fresh squeeze of lemon.
Ingredients
Scale
Lentils
- 1 cup dry black, brown or green lentils (2.5 cups cooked) or 2 cans drained and rinsed
Sauce Base
- oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes, for cooking (about 3 tablespoons)
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 cups (480 ml) vegetable stock
Finishing Ingredients
- ¾ cup (180 ml) heavy (double) cream
- 1 cup (100 g) parmesan, pecorino or Italian hard cheese, grated
- 1 bunch basil, chopped
- lemon wedges, for squeezing
Instructions
- Cook Lentils: If using dry lentils, cook them first. For stovetop, simmer 1 cup lentils with 3.5 cups salted water for 20 minutes until soft but slightly al dente. For Instant Pot, cook 1 cup lentils with 1.75 cups salted water on HIGH for 9 minutes, then natural release 10 minutes. Drain and rinse lentils thoroughly in a fine sieve until water runs clear.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat a few tablespoons of sundried tomato oil in a large deep sauté pan over low-medium heat. Add diced onion and cook until soft, then add crushed garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Spices: Stir in crushed fennel seeds and cook until fragrant. Quickly add a little more oil, then smoked paprika and Italian seasoning. Sauté for a few moments, stirring to distribute spices without burning.
- Incorporate Tomato Ingredients: Add tomato paste and chopped sundried tomatoes, cooking until well combined with the onion and spice mixture. Turn off heat and set aside.
- Combine Lentils and Sauce: Add the drained lentils to the pan and turn heat back on to medium. Stir to mix.
- Add Vegetable Stock and Simmer: Pour in 2 cups vegetable stock. Cover the pan and simmer for 8 minutes, then uncover and simmer for an additional 2 minutes to thicken the sauce as lentils absorb the liquid.
- Finish with Cream, Cheese, and Basil: Reduce heat to very low. Stir in heavy cream, grated parmesan cheese, and chopped basil until the cheese melts and basil wilts into the sauce.
- Rest and Serve: Cover the pan and let the dish rest for 5 minutes to thicken further. Give a final stir and serve hot with lemon wedges for squeezing over the lentils.
Notes
- Use a fine sieve to rinse lentils to avoid losing them down the drain.
- Adjust cream and cheese quantities to taste if you prefer a less rich or creamier texture.
- For a vegan version, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream and cheese with nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan.
- Fresh basil adds brightness; if unavailable, substitute with parsley or omit.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat gently on the stovetop.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 480 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
