Beluga LentilsI love lentils! I’m a fan of most beans, but lentils have my heart. Last Tuesday, on the final day of FNCE, I made one more jaunt through the Expo hall and was pleasantly surprised at how uncrowded it was. Finally, a chance to check out some food samples without feeling like I’m in a cattle herd! One of the best samples was from the Canadian Lentils booth. I grabbed a copy of the recipe booklet they were handing out so I could make it myself for Meatless Monday.

You can access the original recipe for Sundried Tomato Polenta with Mushroom Lentil Ragout on the Canadian Lentils website, or download a PDF of Volume 12 of Lentils for Every Season (do it!). I didn’t make the polenta, and I took a few liberties with the ragout, bumping up the lentils (for extra protein) and using plain Greek yogurt instead of cream. It was delicious for dinner, and leftovers reheated well for lunch the next day. Lentils and mushrooms are a winning pair!

From a nutrition point-of-view, lentils are rich in dietary fiber (both soluble and insoluble). They count as a low-glycemic carb, and 1/2 cup contains about 9 grams (1+ ounce equivalents) of protein. They are an excellent source of folate and a good source of plant-based iron, both of which are important for good health, especially before and during pregnancy.

Mushroom Lentil Ragout

Serves 4-6

Instructions:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1½ cups finely chopped shallots
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 5 cups roughly chopped baby portobello mushrooms
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1⁄3 cup red wine
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, at room temperature
  • 1 cup green or black (Beluga) lentils, cooked and drained
  • 1⁄3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Methods:

  1. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or deep skillet and heat over medium heat. Sauté onions until golden, adding garlic in the last few minutes of cooking.
  2. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until mixture is browned.
  3. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat and simmer until liquid has reduced.
  4. Add the Greek yogurt and cooked lentils and simmer until the mixture thickens. (Note: If you didn’t bring your Greek yogurt to room temperature, temper it by putting the yogurt in a heat-safe bowl, adding a spoonful of the liquid from the pot, and whisking to combine. If you add cold yogurt to the mushroom mixture, it will curdle.)
  5. Add parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Need to know how to cook lentils? Watch this brief video from Canadian Lentils: