Louisiana-Style Red Lentils with Brown Rice

Louisiana-Style Red Lentils with Brown Rice

2 Servings
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From the Test Kitchen

Let’s celebrate Mondays. This salute to the Big Easy is an update of the classic Creole “Red Beans and Rice.” Traditionally, the dish was served on Mondays, made with the leftover ham from Sunday dinner. Our vegetarian version keeps both the aesthetic and the flavor intact, using red lentils (which are higher in protein than red beans), the trinity of Creole cooking (celery bell pepper & onion) and a lightly spicy, classic Cajun seasoning.

Get Cooking
  • Nutrition
    PER SERVING
  • Calories
    675 Cals (est.)
fresh
ingredients
Louisiana-Style Red Lentils with Brown Rice
Title
  • ¾ cup Brown Rice
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 2 stalks Celery
  • 1 bunch Thyme
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper
  • 1 Yellow Onion
  • 2 Tbsps Tomato Paste
  • 1 tsp Cajun Seasoning
  • 1 Fresh Bay Leaf
  • ¾ cup Red Lentils
  • 3 Tbsps Vegetable Demi-Glace
  • 4 oz Baby Spinach
step-by-step
instructions
Cook Along Triangle Created with Sketch.
Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the garlic. Small dice the celery. Remove and discard the stem and seeds of the green pepper; small dice the pepper. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Peel and small dice the onion.
Cook the rice:
2 Cook the rice:
In a medium pot, combine the rice with 1½ cups of water and a big pinch of salt and heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 25 to 27 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the finished rice with a fork or spoon. Set aside as you finish cooking.
Cook the vegetables:
3 Cook the vegetables:
While the rice cooks, in a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion, garlic, celery and green pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
Add the aromatics:
4 Add the aromatics:
Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, as much of the Cajun seasoning as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be, and all but a pinch of the thyme (reserve the rest for garnish). Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant.
Add the lentils:
5 Add the lentils:
Stir the lentils, vegetable demi-glace and 3 cups of water into the pot of vegetables and aromatics, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the mixture has thickened.
Finish & plate your dish:
6 Finish & plate your dish:
Stir the spinach into the pot and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove and discard the bay leaf. (If you find the lentil mixture too thick, add a little water to thin it out.) To plate your dish, divide the rice and lentil mixture between 2 dishes. Garnish with the remaining thyme. Enjoy!

Tips from Home Chefs

Louisiana-Style Red Lentils with Brown Rice

Prepare the ingredients:
1 Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and mince the garlic. Small dice the celery. Remove and discard the stem and seeds of the green pepper; small dice the pepper. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Peel and small dice the onion.
2 Cook the rice:
In a medium pot, combine the rice with 1½ cups of water and a big pinch of salt and heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 25 to 27 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff the finished rice with a fork or spoon. Set aside as you finish cooking.
Cook the rice:
Cook the vegetables:
3 Cook the vegetables:
While the rice cooks, in a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the onion, garlic, celery and green pepper and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
4 Add the aromatics:
Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, as much of the Cajun seasoning as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be, and all but a pinch of the thyme (reserve the rest for garnish). Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 4 minutes, or until toasted and fragrant.
Add the aromatics:
Add the lentils:
5 Add the lentils:
Stir the lentils, vegetable demi-glace and 3 cups of water into the pot of vegetables and aromatics, scraping up any bits at the bottom of the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes, or until the lentils are tender and the mixture has thickened.
6 Finish & plate your dish:
Stir the spinach into the pot and cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until wilted. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste; remove and discard the bay leaf. (If you find the lentil mixture too thick, add a little water to thin it out.) To plate your dish, divide the rice and lentil mixture between 2 dishes. Garnish with the remaining thyme. Enjoy!
Finish & plate your dish:
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