Sometimes they are recipes that you want to try and you just don’t for whatever reason. This is one of those for me. I first saw this recipe about a year ago in Food and Wine magazine and deemed it as an easy weeknight meal. But the recipe used roasted eggplant instead of the fennel I used here. I have been obsessed with fennel this winter. I have been making a fennel and mushroom soup weekly. When my husband asks what I made for dinner and I reply, “fennel mushroom soup,” I get a grunt, a big one. If my husband wants this to change he can step into the kitchen and make it happen. Until then, or until I tire of this combination, either of which doesn’t look like anytime soon, I will keep making it.
But back to the recipe at hand, the eggplant and lentils fennel and lentils. Well, it was really going to be eggplant and lentils. I even bought an eggplant for this purpose and went as far as roasting it. Then at the last-minute I opened the fridge for some herbs and there I saw my fennel. Looking at it with longing eyes, I cheated on the eggplant with fennel. The roasted eggplant is still in my fridge, oops. Don’t worry, I will use it. I’ll make baba ghanoush or eggplant bharta or something, who really cares, I’m talking about fennel right now!
Fennel and lentils, I can’t say I’ve heard of this combination before, but it works. I gobbled down two platefuls. Another thing that works brilliantly with fennel is smoked paprika. I didn’t cook with it much before a few months ago, and now I quite enjoy it. Initially, I was turned off by the overly smoky smell, but that’s not the case any longer.
Another plus to this dish is that I enjoyed it even more because my husband was out-of-town, well not for that exact reason, but I didn’t have to deal with any grunts or disgusted faces because he is not a fan of French lentils (or at least the way I make them.) Notice a pattern here.
Anyhow, I never got around to making the original recipe, maybe another day.
Fennel and Lentil Salad
inspired and adapted by Food and Wine (Eggplant-Lentil Salad) February 2010
Serves 2, as a main
Ingredients
2 cups sliced fennel, fronds reserved
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
kosher salt, to taste
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
2 shallots, finely minced
1 cup French Lentils (du Puy), washed
2 1/2 cups water
zest of 1 lemon and its juice as well
1 jalapeño pepper, minced finely, seeds removed, if you like
5-7 mint leaves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
some fennel fronds, chopped, optional
plain yogurt, for serving
Method
In a medium sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add half of the smoked paprika to the oil and let it infuse the oil for a minute. Next, add in the fennel and the rest of the smoked paprika. Season with salt and allow the fennel to caramelize and soften for about 15 minutes. Once it is ready set aside.
Heat a saucepan on medium heat with the remaining olive oil. Add in the cumin seeds and crushed red chili flakes. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle a bit and then add in the shallots and allow them to soften. Once soft, add in the garlic and allow the garlic to get to the point where it is beginning it brown, but do not burn it. Next, add in the lentils, water, and salt. Cover and allow to come to a boil. When the water starts to boil, remove the lid and and turn the heat to medium low and allow the lentils to simmer for about 40 minutes, or until all the water has evaporated and the lentils mash when you press them between your fingers.
Toss in the fennel, herbs, jalapeño, lemon juice, and zest. Serve warm or at room temperature. The Food and Wine recipe suggests topping this with yogurt, which I did and serving it with naan, which I did not.
Love your attitude! He needs to develop an obsession for fennel that is all. As far as this concoction it looks mouthwatering and I am sure the taste is equally enticing. Need to develop a fennel fetish too! so what are you going to do about your eggplant? in lebanon we eat them just roasted with yogurt and pita.
This is perfect for my new years diet….less meat & more of lentils and veggies! Thank you for this recipe…love the fennel in the lentil salad! yum!
Fennel is a bit intimidating to me for some reason. I only recently learned it existed, after reading “French Women Don’t Get Fat.” Mirielle (sp?) is a staunch believe in the powers of fennel! I must try this!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe and for introducing me to the Cherry Blossom Girl! Love it.
I feel torn apart too when in Kitchen.Me and P have different tastes.But smhow the meal I cook is devoured with or without a grunt.Maybe coz he does not have a wish to slog out in the kitchen.
I have never cooked with fresh fennel.But I looove black lentils ..Your salad looks so hearty!
I’ve never cooked with fennel yet either but now I am very inspired looking at your photos! I bet your husband missed a lot not having tried this one 😉
Looks beautiful. I will have to try this at some point. I just don’t really go for fennel, truth be told. But roasted might just work, especially with that smokey flavor in the background.
Too funny about the husband’s grunt. Let’s just say I know all about that sort of thing 😉
That was funny! Your salad looks delicious.
Heh, I think it’s hilarious that we both posted lentil recipes on the same day. I’d be willing to bet our husbands had the same reaction as well. I still have a hard time eating lentils without meat but I’m loving your fennel idea so I may give that a go soon!
I seem to have caught the fennel fever myself recently, I can’t stop eating it! I totally get your enthusiasm for this often overlooked vegetable. One more fennel recipe to try, yay!
I have cooked with fennel once. 5 years ago. I even notied it didn’t taste like licorice in the recipe but I have been hesitant to try it again (don’t like that anise flavour). This may get back into eating fennel. Thanks for sharing your obsession with us. 🙂
What a beautiful salad! sounds absolutely delicious!
Such a lovely dish…I love the flavors here and I am on a bit of a lentil kick 🙂
I’m always intrigued by your recipes, they look all good, I like the fusion of different ingredients and spices such as this one.
Truly a yummy salad! It took me very long to enjoy fennel, but now, I am kind of addicted to it!! Sounds delicious with lentils.
this dish looks so pretty.. i’ve never tried fennel this way before and it sounds just lovely. thank you for sharing this.
That looks delicious and healthy and fresh…yum!
My first visit to your site and won’t be my last, the recipes look delicious and the photography’s great! Great job!
I’m really excited my fennel plant in a pot on my roof terrace is nearly ready! As it’s the only one, only the perfect fennel recipe will do. As a fennel freak, what do you recommend?!
I love caramelizing it and then eating it with polenta or pasta. Also, the fennel mushroom soup I mentioned and also a fennel gratin! 🙂
Your photos are amazing and that dish looks incredible!
Beautiful site
This looks so yum! I love lentils in all its incarnations. Will have to give this a try!
So I guess you’re glad I am out of town? Just as well since this probably would’ve generated a lot of grunts!!
nope not glad at all!!! grunt away-you know you will like it!
I’m digging this salad, Nadia. Btw, congrats on being a finalist. Well deserved!!
Thanks to everyone for their wonderful comments. 😀
The food in this blog looks so challenging at first. But the more I read throught the posts, the less intimidating it seemed. You’ve done some excellent work with this blog, and I’m going to have to try some of these recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Just made this salad… YUM! Thank you so much!
glad you liked it!