Lentilles du Puy. Three little words. With such Big. Whoppin’. Impact. French green lentils expound my incessant love affair with the South of France. I discovered these petit buggers during our first lunch in Provence . It was love at first bite, I tell ya. Upon (reluctantly) returning home, I hunt down these all-star dried legumes and start to dream of the many ways to incorporate such a mini-tour-de-force into our meals. They are the Mighty Mouse of all legumes, a powerhouse of nutrition stored in the smallest of packages.
And, they’re so darn pretty to look at – smooth, curvy, with a shade of blue-green that a Benjamin Moore paint color could be named after – that I barely want to cook them. All these years of befriending only their musty, brown siblings. What was I thinking? I will make up for lost time. French green lentils are now a part of our staples, just like milk, bread and um…chocolate. I get immense comfort knowing my staples are resting quietly behind closed doors, ready at a moment’s notice whenever I need them. I also feel immense happiness after simple staples transform themselves into a super tasty, nutritious, and satisfying meal.
French green lentils + some garlic + some fresh thyme + mirepoix, with a toss of cumin and broth, equals a soup that will have you coming back for seconds, and dare I say, thirds. This stuff is so good, that I’ve eaten it the following day (when Tony doesn’t finish it off) cold, straight from the fridge, for lunch – or breakfast even. It’s usually a race to see who gets to it first. Hence, the breakfast option.
Lucky for us, a much needed summer storm fell our way with thunder, lightning and the works (which is pretty special in our neck of the woods) and offered me the perfect opportunity to dust off the Le Creuset and prepare a batch of French Green Lentil Soup. The cool evening breeze and the smell of just fallen rain made the perfect backdrop for a trip down memory lane to Provence, the South of France and those three little words, Lentilles du Puy.
French Green Lentil Soup
Tweaked from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, Ina Garten
French green lentils are available in your specialty food store or by mail-order. I buy them right in our bulk food section.
Music Pairing: C’est L’amour, Edith Piaf
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup French green lentils (lentilles du Puy)
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 medium onions)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (2 large cloves)
- 3 tbsp good olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 cup medium-diced celery (2 stalks)
- 1 cup medium-diced carrots (2 stalks)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2/3 cup water
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
Method
In a small bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain. In a dutch oven over medium heat, sauté onions, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme and cumin for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and very tender. Add the celery and carrots and sauté for 5 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Uncover and check the soup periodically to ensure there is enough broth and/or water to cover the lentils. Add more if needed. Check the seasonings and adjust to taste. Stir in red wine vinegar. Serve hot, topped with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro and sprinkled with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano.
I fully agree! Growing up we would have French green lentils soup often and it was always amazing!
I love lentils especially with grilled lamb riblets with crunchy lamb fat cooked until crispy, then eaten with your fingers-the wine should reflect the taste of the lamb. I would suggest a Gigondas. Biodynamic of course!
hi warren – crunchy lamb fat? count me in! :)
I make a giant pot of Smoked Bacon & French Lentil Soup every single week. I never get sick of it. Puy lentils are gorgeous. My recipe is somewhat similar to this but I add smoked bacon and white balsamic vinegar at the end. You can see my recipe here http://eatblogsleep.com/?p=342 – Give it a try sometime and let me know how the taste differs to yours! :-)
oh that variation sounds like a winner. i will definitely give it a try! thank you!
I just love lentil soup and you can’t go wrong with Ina. Her recipes are so great! I really like your version. I need to cook up a big pot soon while the cooler weather is still hanging out around here!
This looks so filling and flavorful! My hubby actually really likes lentils and makes yummy stews/soups with them often. I still need to try cooking with them myself! Love that first picture!
hi kerstin – hope you give them a try. they are so simple, versatile and very forgiving!
I adore French lentils too. Your soup looks gorgeous and so delicious. Love the photos, too! It’s funny, I just made a French lentil soup the other day and was going to post the recipe on my blog. We were thinking along the same wave length perhaps?
hi eralda – we are definitely on the same (taste) wave length! :)
Lentils are so underrated! I almost always have these ingredients at home, so this is a perfect dish for the last minute (hour!). I serve them over brown rice as well. Lots of cumin!!
This soup looks amazing! Whole grains often such an array of cooking possibilities!
Yum…I love these :-D
Love the soup, ‘cos I am a big fan of lentils. I imagine the scene , Edth Piaf and this comforting dish, perfect.
Love lentil soup and Ina Garten! Your blog and photos are amazing. And I just saw that post on peonies (my fave flower) and I’m sooooo jealous that you live near Pike Place market!
thanks, phyllis! i wish peonies were available year round – wouldn’t that be great?
I love french lentils, I always stock up on them when I see them at stores. I definitely want to try this soup!
I make a salad with a lot of these ingredients. This looks great! I’ll have to try these ingredients in soup formation.
Lentilles du Puy are the best. When I go to Montreal I always buy a big batch. This soup looks yummy.
This is one of my favorite soups of all time and how did I know the music would be the incomparable Edith?
As you may know, I’m French and I have to admit that your recipe really looks like the one that my mom used to cook for us. I like the combination of all the different spices. Well done!
oh that is so good to hear – you can’t get more authentic than a recipe from mom! :)
This soup looks delicious!
Such beautiful photos! Most lentil soups I come across have some type of pork involved, and I love that this one doesn’t. I always feel that pork is too strong for the delicate flavor of lentils.
Great choice for the music pairing!
hi allison – i totally agree and that is exactly why i found this recipe to be so appealing. why mess with such a good thing?
such a pretty green lentil soup! Yummy and comforting too
Isn’t it funny how when you have some lentils spilled out on the counter how it calls out to become some art!
Lentils are a staple in my cabinet, and your soup looks so perfect…beautifully presented…
Your welcome on the award you deserve it. I truly love your site. It is inspirational.
awwh, thank you – that means so much to me knowing i can provide the smallest nub of inspiration to your day….
love that first picture! yum, lentil soup is so good. could use some of that for the rainy day we are having in NYC. thanks for sharing
How adorable!! It makes me want to hug you and give you daisies and sunflowers. I must say, I’ve never tried lentils before, but this certainly piques my interest to aching point – I’m definitely going grocery shopping this weekend!
well – i love daisies, sunflowers and hugs! :) i hope you get a chance to try these little amazing guys…i only wish i had discovered them sooner!
Aloha from Hawaii ! Has anyone tried using the regular brown lentils with this recipe? I have several packages of them at home and am looking for ways to use them up. This soup looks wonderful and am hoping it will work.
Mahalo…
aloha aulani – i have made this soup once with a combination of brown and green lentils. the major difference is in consistency and texture – the brown lentils are a bit more starchy and tend to soften much more than the green ones. however, the taste is just as delicious. you may want to check the soup earlier so they don’t overcook and become too mushy.
What a lovely & super healthy & tasty looking soup!!
Yummie yum!
Looks absolutely delicious.
I love your photos too. Any tips? The lighting seems very good.
hi mel – i always shoot in natural light whenever possible, near a big window – without direct sunlight and without a flash. long summer days make this much easier too, of course!
I love the first photo!
This sounds really good. I don’t cook as much as I’d like to with lentils, so I’m always on the lookout for recipes using them. Right now I have some petite crimson ones to use, but when I get green ones, I’ll have to try this soup. Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was lovely! Using puy lentils really makes a difference. I added half a bag of spinach also, and served it with socca (a chickpea flatbread that pairs deliciously well with it: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/06/socca_enfin.html). Thanks so much for the post! I had been eyeing Ina Garten’s recipe for awhile, but it always seemed like it would be make way too much, so this was perfect.
Love this! I must try spelling out words with my lentils!
Made this tonight, it was delish…although I was missing several things…subbed in a few splashes from a bottle of red wine that had turned a little sour for the red wine vinegar and it made it taste amazing!
I’ve made the recipe from the book. I’ll now have to make this one for comparison! I, too, love lentils. Always so good! I’m lucky to live near a co-op that sells the green lentils in bulk.
This recipe sounds fantastic and I can’t wait to try it! But what I absolutely loved was reading your description and story leading up to the recipe. This is what a food blog should look and sound like. Even complete with music to cook to.
Good job! Keep up the great work!
Fdlvr – Thanks so much for the sweet note! So glad you have you here!