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Tomato Basil Red Lentils with Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables

Yields4 ServingsPrep Time15 minsCook Time1 hrTotal Time1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients
<i>for the roasted mediterranean vegetables…</i>
 2 large zucchini and/or summer squash, sliced lengthwise and chopped into 1 inch chunks
 2 red or yellow bell peppers (I like to use two of each for extra color), roughly chopped into large chunks
 400 g carrots (about 4 medium), chopped into 1 inch chunks
 200 g asparagus (measured after hard ends have been trimmed)
 2 tsp smoked sea salt (or substitute any coarse or flakey sea salt)
 10 sprigs fresh thyme (or substitute 1 Tablespoon dry thyme)
 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
<i>for the tomato basil lentil “risotto”…</i>
 400 g dry red lentils
 5 cups water
 400 g cherry tomatoes, halved
 2 low sodium vegetable bullion cubes
 1 tsp high quality garlic granules (I like Simply Organics)
 2 tsp herbs de provence (or substitute equal parts thyme, rosemary, and oregano)
 ¼ cup tomato paste concentrate
 ½ cup fresh basil
 salt to taste
Preparation
1

Begin by preheating the oven to 450 F and spreading parchment paper over a baking sheet.

2

Next, wash and cut your vegetables–chopping the zucchini, carrots, and peppers into large chunks (about 1 inch). The veggies will shrivel in the oven so having large chunks will give them more presence on the plate. For the Asparagus, just snap off the large hard ends (To do this. hold the asparagus stalk in the middle and at the large end and then bend until part of the end snaps off. This will leave you with only the most edible tender parts of the stalk. Discard the hard ends).

3

Toss the veggies with 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil, 10 sprigs thyme, and 2 teaspoons flakey (smoked if you have it) salt. The most important veggies to coat here are the zucchini. If other vegetables aren’t perfectly coated (or you could even omit the olive oil completely for the peppers if you’d like to minimize your use of oil), its not a big deal. Place the tray in the oven, and allow the vegetables to roast for 40-60 minutes or until very tender with crisped edges.

4

While the vegetables are roasting, place the red lentils with 5 cups of water and vegetable bullion in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil. Then, reduce the heat and allow the lentils to simmer for 10 minutes.

5

Add the tomato concentrate, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and half the fresh basil (reserving half to add near the end of cooking). Allow to simmer another 10-20 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pot. As the lentils are being cooked in the liquid they will be served in and will not be drained of liquid, they will have a tendency to stick to the pan as they cook. Frequent stirring helps to prevent this.

6

Once the lentils are thick and very creamy, stir in half of the remainder of the fresh basil (keeping the last bit for use as a garnish) and remove the lentils from the heat. Add salt and cracked pepper to taste.

7

To serve, plate the lentils, and top with the roasted mixed vegetables. Garnish with the remaining fresh basil. And then eat it outside (or, you know, by a window) 🙂

Nutrition Facts

Servings 0

Amount Per Serving
Calories 394
% Daily Value *
Cholesterol 0mg
Potassium 1367mg40%
Total Carbohydrate 68g23%

Dietary Fiber 33g132%
Sugars 8g
Protein 28g57%
Vitamin A 49%
Vitamin C 38%
Calcium 26%
Iron 44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.