Middle Eastern Lentils with Chard & Tahini
One pot – 30 minute magic!
One of my favourite dishes to prove my point that you CAN eat healthily but don’t have to compromise on F L A V O U R. With every recipe on my website I try to set out a way that I can make healthy and wholesome recipes, 100% appealing, for foodies.
I wear many cooking hats but I am a foodie first! I love bold, vibrant and full of flavour food! THIS is that sort of recipe!
The reason I love Middle Eastern food is that its packed full of flavour. With good organic ingredients (already superior in flavour) and a few shop-bought deli ingredients, you too can elevate every dish you cook with deliciousness!
Why you should make this recipe
- its one pot cooking at its best
- its packed full of fibre, plant protein and wholesomeness
- its full of flavour
- its exciting to eat
Middle Eastern basic pantry ingredients 101
Tahini
Is made of 100% toasted sesames whizzed up, it adds a creamy texture to dishes and it’s excellent in a dressing. The better the tahini the better the dish, try to find a tahini that you like or you can make your own. But to be honest, I have made plenty tahini’s in the past, but somehow the imported ones from the Middle East taste better, no idea why.
- please make sure your tahini is runny and does not resemble ‘peanut butter’ – which is super difficult to mix into yogurts when making a dressing.
Sumac
Is made from crushed sumac berries and it adds a citrus tang to dishes. Again, the better the sumac the better the dish.
Serving suggestions
I made the perfect lunch by serving this stunner of a dish with the following:
- some crazy easy flatbreads
- garlicky tahini dressing
- my Middle Eastern inspired fresh slaw with blood oranges
- a quick yogurt to dollop on-top – Add 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp tahini, 1 tbsp lemon juice and salt and pepper.
Middle Eastern Lentils with Chard & Tahini
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 red onions finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 400 g rainbow chard stalks removed, leaves finely chopped, 4 colourful stems, finely chopped
- 200 ml veggie stock
- 2 400g tinned lentils drained
- 3 tbsp tahini (see intro note)
- 2 tsp sumac (see intro note)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (more to taste)
- 1 red chilli finely sliced, to taste, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large enough saucepan (with a lid), add the cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
- Add the onions and chard stalks, you want to hear a sizzle, and stir well to incorporate the onions with the oil and cumin seeds, cook covered on a medium to high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and the stalks soft.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 3 minutes.
- Add the chard leaves into a mountain on top of the onions, don't worry if it looks too much, have faith it will cook down. Add the stock and bring to a simmer, add the lid and let it all simmer and steam for around 8 minutes.
- At this stage the spinach will be cooked down, add 1 to 2 teaspoons fine good salt (I added 2 but start with 1 if new to seasoning), stirring everything.
- Add the drained lentils, tahini and 1 teaspoon sumac (reserve other tsp for later) and swirl and turn the mixture. Give everything a good mix, taste and season appropriately.
- To serve, add a drizzle of olive oil, more tahini, lemon, sumac and chilli if using. See recipe intro for serving suggestions. Enjoy!