Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe
A plate of green lentils and green, charred broccoli sitting on a multicolored wood cutting board.
Don’t be afraid of the lentils. They are your friends.

I’m not exaggerating about lentils and broccoli being a love story. I had never eaten a lentil until I met my husband. At least, not knowingly. Growing up, sometimes rice would show up (yuck), sometimes oats (packets). We didn’t eat a ton of beans that I can remember. I do remember a lot of potatoes, but I digress. The vegetables we ate were typical; either canned or frozen, which are rarely the ideal states for delicious veggies. Suffice to say, unless we were having Mexican, it tended to be your typical American fare.

Then my husband happened. Or we happened to each other. At any rate, I got exposed to a ton of exotic to me foods. While I’ve never been a picky person, I hadn’t been exposed to a lot. It took me a long time to figure out that fresh vegetables, roasted, and cooked properly were delicious. And the lentil thing shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone; according to my one Google search on the subject, Americans only eat about two ounces of lentils a year.

The broccoli gets roasted until it’s starting to char, and the lentils get tempered. When you temper lentils, you pour cooked, mashed dal into hot oil that’s been used to bloom spices and garlic. In this case, I am using green lentils and not toor dal. I also do not mash my lentils; I like them to still have texture. Also, I really don’t like toor dal, so lentils and broccoli is almost a compromise.

Print

Lentils and Broccoli

Ingredients

  • 3 tsp coriander seeds slightly crushed
  • 3 tsp fennel seeds slightly crushed
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds slightly crushed
  • 1 thai chile or jalepeno diced
  • 4 cloves garlic diced
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 cup green lentils rinsed well
  • 4 cup broth
  • 1 lb broccoli washed and segmented
  • dill, mint, parsley, cilantro whatever herbs you have on hand will work
  • sherry vinegar to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450F.
  • Place the lentils in a saucepan with the broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 25-30 until done and most of the broth is absorbed. Stir in the vinegar and herbs, allowing the heat of the lentils to wilt them.
  • When the lentils are almost done, toss the broccoli with enough oil to coat, salt, and pepper. Roast for 10-12 minutes, or until they are starting to char but are still crunchy (or cook them until soft if that's what you prefer.)
  • In another saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low. Add the spices, chile, and garlic, swirling and cooking until everything is fragrant. Pour over hot oil the lentils in the other pot, stirring to combine.
  • Taste for salt. Serve with broccoli.