Brothy Lentils with Mushrooms and Leeks
Servings 4 People
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 leeks, tough green tops removed, sliced into ½-inch thick rounds
- 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 10-12 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced (or any variety, about 3 heaping cups)
- 1 ¼ cup French (puy) lentils or green lentils
- 5 cups water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Fresh herbs, for topping
- Whole milk yogurt, for topping
- Pickle red onions, for topping
- Toast, for serving
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Slice 2 leeks into ½-inch thick rounds
- Thinly slice 2 stalks celery
- Thinly slice 12 oz cremini mushrooms (3 heaping cups)
- Pickle 1 red onion
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, leeks, celery, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until softened and browned in spots, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. You want to get a little bit of a char to add lots of flavor.
- Stir in the mushrooms and try to arrange them so that they are making contact with the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring halfway, to soften and brown the mushrooms and leeks a bit.
- Stir in the lentils, water, soy sauce, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Increase the heat to high to bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and simmer for about 5-10 more minutes or until lentils are tender and liquid has reduced (you don’t want it watery, but definitely brothy if that makes sense!). You want the lentils to have a little bit of a bite, but you don’t want them crunchy or totally mushy.
- Once you have the consistency you want, turn off the heat then stir in the lemon juice. Serve topped with a generous dollop of yogurt, fresh herbs, pickled red onions, and a side of buttered bread.