Many different names in different parts of the world are used for the crop lentil. The genus Vicia is part of the subfamily Faboideae which is contained in the flowering plant family Fabaceae or commonly known as legume or bean family, of the order Fabales in the kingdom Plantae.

The former genus Lens consisted of the cultivated L. culinaris and six related wild taxa. Among the different taxa of wild lentils, L.

orientalis was considered to be the progenitor of the cultivated lentil and was generally classified as L. culinaris subsp. Lentil is hypogeal , which means the cotyledons of the germinating seed stay in the ground and inside the seed coat. Therefore, it is less vulnerable to frost, wind erosion, or insect attack.

The plant is a diploid, annual, bushy herb of erect, semierect, or spreading and compact growth and normally varies from 30 to 50 centimetres 12 to 20 in in height. It has many hairy branches and its stem is slender and angular.

The rachis bears 10 to 15 leaflets in five to eight pairs. The leaves are alternate, of oblong-linear and obtuse shape and from yellowish green to dark bluish green in colour. In general, the upper leaves are converted into tendrils , whereas the lower leaves are mucronate.

If stipules are present, they are small. The flowers, one to four in number, are small, white, pink, purple, pale purple, or pale blue in colour. They arise from the axils of the leaves, on a slender footstalk almost as long as the leaves. The pods are oblong, slightly inflated, and about 1.

Normally, each of them contains two seeds, about 0. The seeds can also be mottled and speckled. The several cultivated varieties of lentil differ in size, hairiness, and colour of the leaves, flowers, and seeds. Lentils are self-pollinating. The flowering begins from the lowermost buds and gradually moves upward, so-called acropetal flowering.

About two weeks are needed for all the flowers to open on the single branch. At the end of the second day and on the third day after the opening of the flowers, they close completely and the colour begins to fade.

After three to four days, the setting of the pods takes place. Types can be classified according to their size, whether they are split or whole, or shelled or unshelled. Seed coats can range from light green to deep purple, as well as being tan, grey, brown, black or mottled.

Shelled lentils show the colour of the cotyledon which can be yellow, orange, red, or green. In , global production of lentils was 6.

The cultivated lentil Lens culinaris subsp. culinaris was derived from its wild subspecies L. orientalis , although other species may also have contributed some genes, according to Jonathan Sauer Historical Geography of Crop Plants , Lentil was domesticated in the Fertile Crescent of the Near East and then spread to Europe , the Middle East , North Africa and the Indo-Gangetic plain.

The primary center of diversity for the domestic Lens culinaris as well as its wild progenitor L. culinaris ssp. orientalis is considered to be the Middle East. The oldest known carbonized remains of lentil from Greece 's Franchthi Cave are dated to 11, BC.

In archaeobotanical excavations carbonized remains of lentil seeds have been recovered from widely dispersed places such as Tell Ramad in Syria — BC , Aceramic Beidha in Jordan , Hacilar in Turkey — BC , Tepe Sabz Ita.

Tepe Sabz in Iran — BC and Argissa-Magula Tessaly in Greece — BC , along other places. Lentils can grow on various soil types, from sand to clay loam, growing best in deep sandy loam soils with moderate fertility. A soil pH around 7 would be the best. Lentils do not tolerate flooding or water-logged conditions.

Lentils improve the physical properties of soils and increase the yield of succeeding cereal crops. Biological nitrogen fixation or other rotational effects could be the reason for higher yields after lentils.

The conditions under which lentils are grown differ across different growing regions. In the temperate climates lentils are planted in the winter and spring under low temperatures and vegetative growth occurs in later spring and the summer.

Rainfall during this time is not limited. In the subtropics , lentils are planted under relatively high temperatures at the end of the rainy season, and vegetative growth occurs on the residual soil moisture in the summer season.

Rainfall during this time is limited. In West Asia and North Africa , some lentils are planted as a winter crop before snowfall. Plant growth occurs during the time of snow melting. Under such cultivation, seed yields are often much higher.

The lentil requires a firm, smooth seedbed with most of the previous crop residues incorporated. For the seed placement and for later harvesting it is important that the surface is not uneven with large clods, stones, or protruding crop residue. It is also important that the soil be made friable and weed-free, so that seeding can be done at a uniform depth.

The plant densities for lentils vary between genotypes , seed size, planting time and growing conditions, and also from region to region. In South Asia, a seed rate of 30 to 40 kilograms per hectare 27 to 36 pounds per acre is recommended. In West Asian countries, a higher seed rate is recommended, and also leads to a higher yield.

In agriculturally mechanized countries, lentils are planted using grain drills , but many other areas still hand broadcast. In intercropping systems — a practice commonly used in lentil cultivation — herbicides may be needed to assure crop health.

A combination of gravity, screens and air flow is used to clean and sort lentils by shape and density. After destoning, they may be sorted by a color sorter and then packaged. A major part of the world's red lentil production undergoes a secondary processing step.

These lentils are dehulled , split and polished. In the Indian subcontinent , this process is called dal milling. Lentils can be eaten soaked, germinated, fried, baked or boiled — the most common preparation method.

Most varieties have a distinctive, earthy flavor. Lentils with husks remain whole with moderate cooking, while those without husks tend to disintegrate into a thick purée, which may enable various dishes. The composition of lentils leads to a high emulsifying capacity which can be even increased by dough fermentation in bread making.

Lentils are used worldwide in many different dishes. Lentil dishes are most widespread throughout South Asia , the Mediterranean regions, West Asia , and Latin America. In the Indian subcontinent , Fiji , Mauritius , Singapore and the Caribbean , lentil curry is part of the everyday diet, eaten with both rice and roti.

Boiled lentils and lentil stock are used to thicken most vegetarian curries. They are also used as stuffing in dal parathas and puri for breakfast or snacks. Lentils are also used in many regional varieties of sweets. Lentil flour is used to prepare several different bread varieties, such as papadam.

They are frequently combined with rice , which has a similar cooking time. A lentil and rice dish is referred to in Levantine countries as mujaddara or mejadra. In Iran, rice and lentil is served with fried raisin ; this dish is called adas polo. Rice and lentils are also cooked together in khichdi , a popular dish in the Indian subcontinent India and Pakistan ; a similar dish, kushari , made in Egypt, is considered one of two national dishes.

Lentils are used to prepare an inexpensive and nutritious soup throughout Europe and North and South America , sometimes combined with chicken or pork.

In Western countries, cooked lentils are often used in salads. Lentils are commonly eaten in Ethiopia in a stew-like dish called kik , or kik wot , one of the dishes people eat with Ethiopia's national food, injera flatbread.

Yellow lentils are used to make a non-spicy stew, which is one of the first solid foods Ethiopians feed their babies. Lentils were a chief part of the diet of ancient Iranians, who consumed lentils daily in the form of a stew poured over rice. Lentils contain carotenoids , lutein and zeaxanthin , and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The low levels of readily digestible starch 5 percent and high levels of slowly digested starch make lentils of potential value to people with diabetes. Lentils also have antinutrient factors, such as trypsin inhibitors and a relatively high phytate content.

Trypsin is an enzyme involved in digestion, and phytates reduce the bioavailability of dietary minerals. Although lentils have been an important crop for centuries, lentil breeding and genetic research have a relatively short history compared to that of many other crops.

Since the inception of The International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas ICARDA breeding programme in significant gains have been made. It supplies landraces and breeding lines for countries around the world, supplemented by other programmes in both developing e.

India and developed e. Australia and Canada countries. In recent years, such collaborations among breeders and agronomists are becoming increasingly important.

The focus lies on high yielding and stable cultivars for diverse environments to match the demand of a growing population. Wild Lens species are a significant source of genetic variation for improving the relatively narrow genetic base of this crop. The wild species possess many diverse traits including disease resistances and abiotic stress tolerances.

The above-mentioned L. nigricans and L. orientalis possess morphological similarities to the cultivated L. But only L. culinaris and L. orientalis are crossable and produce fully fertile seed.

Between the different related species hybridisation barriers exist. According to their inter-crossability Lens species can be divided into three gene pools:. Crosses generally fail between members of different gene pools.

Even if crosses are successful, many undesired genes may be introduced as well in addition to the desired ones.

This can be resolved by using a backcrossing programme. Thus, mutagenesis is crucial to create new and desirable varieties. According to Yadav et al. other biotechnology techniques which may impact on lentil breeding are micro-propagation using meristamatic explants, callus culture and regeneration, protoplast culture and doubled haploid production.

There is a proposed revision of the gene pools using SNP phylogeny. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. My only tweak was to add dijon mustard, cuz I use it in my French onion soup, as well.

made this with chicken bouillon instead of broth. the color was resultingly not cute, but it was delicious and we all gobbled it up. The only substitution I made was using beef broth instead of vegetable broth. Aside from that, I made the recipe as written, and it worked perfectly.

Wow, made this tonight and it slapped. We ate with crusty bread, but I think toasting some baguette and sprinkling them with even more Gruyère would be so good too!!

I used precooked lentils and adjusted the broth. So, so, so good and will make instead of French onion soup! Hi Deb, I made this recipe a few days ago on a frigid day and it was perfection! made with the ingredients called for : Highly recommend a fried egg on top and a simple arugula salad for a great left-overs lunch or dinner.

Thank you for introducing this delight to the world! Made it. LOVE it. I added some chopped parsley on top to give it a little freshness. I think I could finish the entire pot on my own in one sitting. As another commenter said, the onion caramelization took a little longer than indicated in the recipe as did the gruyere broiling, but well worth the wait.

This is SO delicious. I modified it a smidge to use what I had in the pantry: I caramelized the onions and cooked the lentils in a cast iron skillet on the stove. I also cooked some bulgur the only hearty-ish grain thing I happened to have separately because I was worried the cook times were too dissimilar for the oven method.

I then combined the bulgur with the lentils, topped it generously with cheddar what I had and some leftover sliced Swiss and broiled.

Tasty, hearty, luxurious. not going to lie: the onions took me forever to cut and to caramelize and my place is probably going to smell like cheese for weeks. but this was so worth it! thanks Deb, for another smash hit in my family! This was such a huge hit with my toddler.

Another delicious recipe! A deeply cozy and satisfying meal. Followed the recipe, although I omitted the sherry. This is delicious comfort food on a cold night.

The liquid that was left at the end was made to be absorbed by some bread. So good! Will definitely make this again. I love French onion soup so this recipe immediately captured my interest.

I followed the recipe to the letter, and the dish came out exactly as described. Every ingredient is crucial to create the amazing texture and flavor. The recipe is definitely a keeper and perfect for a winter meal. Kudos to you!

We made this tonight and it was amazing. We did have to increase the bake time by about 20 min uncovered because it was just too watery. We might add some mushrooms next time.

Would it be ok in a 9×13, or should I 1. Need to return a dish to a friend, and hate to give it back empty… :. Making your black bean chili tonight!

I just realized that this is essentially mujadara with cheese. Most mujadara recipes call for rice, but my favorite version, served at a local Middle Eastern restaurant, uses wheat berries instead of rice. So delicious! Made this — delicious!

The farro is especially nice. I think next time, I would actually double the onions, to really up the french onion soup factor! I added more liquid at the halfway point and next time will add even more. I added some miso paste to give my boxed stock more oomph, and it works great here.

We got two generous dinners and a petite lunch for our two person household out of this, leaving an even more petite amount left over. So, I made the SK roasted tomato soup and stirred the leftovers in. This was so delicious. And the sweetness of the onion made the dish. Would make it again.

I used Better than Bullion No Chicken for the broth but will substitute a beef broth next time to make the dish taste more like French onion soup and, in my view, even better. found this bland. I just made this exactly as directed and it came out perfectly.

That might improve its look. Thanks for the recipe! Super delicious. I made this in an 8 qt instant pot and to be GF, used long grain brown rice.

To do it in the instant pot I used 5 cups of stock instead of 6 at 15 min with a natural release. Thanks for this! Considering doing the caramelization with the air fryer :D. This was DELICIOUS. Rave reviews from everyone. This is such a satisfying dish to prepare. On a snowy New England day, I took my time, savoured every moment of the caramelizing process, and blissfully inhaled the aroma of the oven time.

Amazingly, my vegetable averse, carnivore husband consumed massive quantities of this meal, and polished off every bit of the leftovers the next day. Thank you so much for your heart, soul, and stomach warming recipes!!! This was very delicious!

We will be enjoying this often. Thanks Deb! I made this with barley because I had barley and not farro. I made a one to one sub and it was delicious! I forgot to pick up fresh thyme and I only have dried. Presuming this works, how much would you recommend I use?

Excited to try this. This was fantastic! Super hearty and savory and budget friendly. It was truly the perfect meal for our recent frigid weather.

I do want to mention to anyone considering making this recipe that 40min was not nearly enough time to truly caramelize the onions on my stove, it took closer to 80min. Rather than watching the time, I recommend following her descriptors and matching the color to photos to ensure you get the right flavor.

Mine were good after 45 so you are absolutely right to watch for colour and sweetness rather than time. This was absolutely incredible, and less work than I feared. I subbed farro with pearled barley and vegetable with beef stock because I had both on hand, which seemed to work great.

My wife, a Walloon who typically eschews my American recipes, even tried it and confirmed for her parents, who are visiting, that it was good. I made this tonight, and it was a huge family hit. Everyone wanted seconds. Loved it! Super comforting on a frigid night and very delicious.

They caramelized perfectly following your instructions. Very simple especially if you slice all those onions in a food processor! I made this last night as written and it turned out perfectly! This is going on our winter rotation. I had some boxed beef broth that needed using up, and extended it to six cups by adding some water, chopped up veggies, and a bit of chicken better than bouillon, which I simmered while prepping the rest of the recipe, similar to what I would do for french onion soup.

The result was phenomenal. It was a bit liquidy in the end, but not in a bad way because the whole thing was somewhere in between soup and farrotto in the most wonderful way. I think, if one wanted to make it less liquidy-just adding cups initially and then more if needed at the halfway point, when stirring.

And the final touch? Much to my delight, I had some leftover craggy, crispy sourdough croutons I had made the day before to salvage some dried out rosemary bread hidden in the back of my fridge.

This simple addition really put the dish over the top. The whole thing is so, so good, and very filling with the addition of lentils and farro. Another winner-thanks Deb!

Our family of 5 loved it, and agreed it should be on rotation. I made the recipe as written, using Le Puy lentils from Rancho Gordo, the only farro I could find at our grocery store, and Spanish sherry.

It provided a hearty dinner and there were enough leftovers for lunch for me and my husband two days later. The recipe calls for 2 Cups 8 oz of cheese. But 2 Cups equals 16 ounces, so this confuses me. Thanks for clarifying :. Deb or someone else can feel free to correct me on this, but ounces are a measure of weight while cups are a measure of volume.

When in doubt, default to the weight, which will give the most consistently accurate results. Ended up using barley instead. It maybe could have cooked longer? Declared it her new favorite during dinner, and, when claiming a share of the leftovers for her lunch the next day, indicated that she is, in fact, addicted to it.

When barley and lentils do this to a person, you comment on the blog. I followed recipe exactly and it was absolutely delicious!

Would not change anything about this recipe. Cannot wait to make it again! My must-have-meat-to-qualify-as-dinner husband and our two boys and I devoured this. Yes, the cooking time was about 2 hours, but it is SERIOUSLY hands off and easy and also important!

produced very few things to clean up afterwards. Highly recommend for a working-from-home afternoon, I managed to finish work, help kids with homework and make salad and dressing while the onions were softening and this was in the oven.

Loved this! Really delicious! I love onion soup and enjoyed this even more. I used what I had on hand, red wine and half red onions instead of yellow and it turned our great.

We all enjoyed the extra heartiness during our crazy snow week in Nashville! Thank you for sharing! I made this. Vegan husband loves! even though I made without any cheese for him.

I did have to cook for an extra min though, to get the liquid to cook out. This was SO good. I made it exactly as written and it really seemed to follow the timeline as described.

We loved this! Takes some time for a weeknight but mostly hands off. We are only two people so will have lots of leftovers, so the extra broth will be a good thing.

I used better than bouillon veg base and it was perfect. We loved having buttered toast on the side to mop up the broth and scoop up cheesy grain filled bites. I would make this for company with a big loaf of crusty garlic bread and a nice bright and acidic green salad on the side.

Truly a comforting bowl of French onion soup flavour with the added nuttiness, protein and chew of the farro and lentils. It is definitely a plan ahead type dish. It really did take about 2 hours total. Worth it! Made this tonight! I am always looking for vegetarian recipes that I can add into our repertoire as I have a vegetarian daughter.

She loves French onion flavors, and we eat a lot of farro, and add in lentils- well it has it all! The outcome was okay-I felt like it really wanted some brightness somehow. Or maybe some more veg in there. It was rather heavy. Also, I had 6 oz of Gruyère and that was plenty. Turned out great! I think, as others have noted, the specific vegetable broth used heavily influences the flavor.

The thyme infused really well. This recipe was delicious and the leftovers were as good as Deb promised. Scatter some parsley if you must, but my family thought it looked plenty appetizing. Perfect snowy meal. Thank you, Deb! This is a keeper!

The caramelized onions add a ton of flavor and the chewiness of the farro is so satisfying! And despite how smelly I find gruyere, definitely do not skip adding it and giving it a quick finish under the broiler. The cheese is delicious despite its stinky-ness and the broiling gives it beautiful color.

Thank you as always for such wonderful recipes! And brilliant! Plus leftovers. How would you adjust the recipe for pearled barley? I made it exactly as written and used the 10 min Whole Foods farro. It came out perfectly with no adjustments to liquid or cooking time. The cheese is essential!

Pairs perfectly with a tangy green salad and makes excellent leftovers for lunch. But I have some notes. Next time I will just add 1 TBsp of chopped fresh thyme or use 1 tsp of dried. Also, recipe took 2. Next time I will cook wild rice on the stove while I brown the onions, add the garlic etc then the lentils with less broth and cook the lentils on the stove top in the onion mixture.

Then stir in the wild rice and finish under the broiler to melt the cheese. Should be done in an hour and still be very tasty. This was amazing — rich and hearty and perfect for a winter supper.

I wondered afterwards about cooking it stove-top for the entire time except for the broiling of the cheese. I ended up taking the lid off my casserole to allow extra liquid to cook off at the end. Perfect cold evening food! would love pointers to find farro in the UK.

Made it for dinner last night! It is absolutely delicious! Thanx Deb! This is cozy and delicious! I knew I wanted a firmer set, there was minimal liquid left in the bottom of the pan after this approach. I made this last night and it ROCKS! Made a half batch, used combo of water and chicken stock, white wine splash, genuine Gruyere.

Husband and I licked our bowls clean. Thank you so much for this trifecta farro-lentils-onion soupiness. It was also 10 minute farro.

So after reading the comments on what others had done with 10 minute farro, I reduced the liquid to a little over 5 cups to account for the lower amount of farro and added the farro during the last 15 — 20 minutes of cooking.

I had Le Puy lentils and used them in the amount called for in the recipe. I think my husband went back for fourths! The leftovers were delicious reheated as well.

Thank you for another great recipe! I can never seem to get onions to fully caramelize under an hour, but otherwise this recipe worked perfectly. This was phenomenal and surprisingly unfussy! We were still enjoying it on day 3 of eating it.

It helped get us out of a cooking rut. He frequently laments the frequency of lentils in our house and was noticeably skeptical when I told him what I was making tonight. We BOTH loved this dish.

Perfect food for a cold and rainy night. I made this 2 nights ago and my husband fought over the leftovers yesterday.

Really great comfort food. Made this last night with and served with a simple arugula salad. Did not make any changes or substitutions. And so nutritious. I think I will keep a batch of caramelized onions in the fridge just so I can make it quickly when the craving strikes.

Also love the idea of a fried egg on top. Will do that for the leftovers!! Do you use Morton Kosher salt or Diamond? Thank you for answering the question about the size of pan used here for this delicious dish.

I really wish cooks would routinely include information about the size of pan used in a recipe. I use Diamond salt. More here about how to swap: not all salts are created equally.

This is possibly my all time favorite recipe from Smitten Kitchen. So glad to have found and made this recipe! Made exactly as written except for fishing out the thyme — oops 😬 even though I had to go to 4 different stores in 0°weather to find farro. Looks like another SK winner, thank you!!

I made this exactly as written except that I was short on farro so I only used 1 cup and reduced the broth by 1 cup. I used Parmesan broth because it was what I had on hand but I might go for beef broth next time just to keep it as French onion soupy as possible. This was really delicious and felt really virtuous despite all the cheese.

Between the two of us we ate half the pan in one sitting. This was good, but I think the caramelized onions would come through more if You used 1 cup of farro and decreased stock. This was such a nice, comforting winter meal. The clincher: my 4yo ate every bite. I did not adjust the cook time or any other part of the recipe.

It was delicious. Thank, Deb for your fabulous recipes. In the canon of legumes disguised as things my kids love to eat pizza beans, BBQ chickpeas , this was another success! We substituted Jarlsberg for the Gruyere. This was SO good and felt so decadent! I think all ski lodges should put that on their menu!!

Next time or with guests, I would portion the dish in individual onion soup bowls just before adding the cheese and broiing — facilitating the resuscitation of leftovers! This is crazy good. Made it last night for a side dish at a family dinner and got race reviews.

Thank you, Deb, and Elizabeth from Oakland. Made this and it was excellent!! I have a variety of lentils red, green, brown, black but decided to go with black lentils as I like how they hold their shape and sometimes the kids are more willing to eat these vs other lentils because not quite so much mush and it turned out great!

Question about technique: why bake in the oven vs simmer on the stove? I was thinking a future variation I might try would be to actually make this a soup the farro and lentils would make it a more substantial version of French onion soup : add more broth then ladle in to individual crocks and top with a slice of French bread and Gruyère then broil.

This was amazing!!! It satisfied my French onion soup craving but was less messy to eat. So satisfyingly good. And my 19 month old had three servings of it!!

Has anyone made this in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker? Curious about timing and if you reduced the liquid. I followed recipe exactly and it was perfect.

Next time, I may add roasted mushrooms before the cheese to broil. I am a runner and this lunchtime meal was so satisfying and filling before a long run. Still plenty of leftovers. I used my lodge cast iron skillet and then the toaster oven and it worked out great.

Thanks for recipe, Ms. I was short 40 grams of farro, so I added an extra 40 grams of lentils, and that seemed to work just fine. Otherwise, as written.

This turned out well. I used short-grain brown rice as you suggested for a gluten-free substitution. The liquid content was totally fine. I would have done 1t of salt rather than 2 and we loved every bite of it.

Lots and lots of leftovers. This was okay. Not great. I really wanted it to be great. I also found the cooking time for the onions to be off. I used like I always do a heavy bottomed stainless braiser and a high powered burner, but after an hour of cooking the onions according to the recipe- I triple checked the onions had not become nearly caramelized.

Typically when I caramelize onions for French onion soup it takes a good two and a half hours and went on with the recipe. The final product was okay, but not loved by any of us.

My onions started browning at around the 30 minute mark and were fully caramelized by the 45 minute mark. setting on my mandoline for slicing. The timing worked for me but I had cut the recipe in half. If there were twice as many onions in the pan, I think it would have taken me longer.

Great recipe but proves the maxim that nobody waits long enough to caramelize onions. fifty minutes is not enough for the onions, especially given how many there are. I could see that stage lasting a solid 90 minutes. You really have to commit to getting the onions caramelized or they will be lost in the heartier flavors of the recipe.

I got impatient and proceeded before they were truly browned. I suppose an alternative would be to just soften the onions for ten minutes. Different flavor but will still go great with the other ingredients. I added some tomato sauce instead of the cups of veggie broth near the end, that was pretty great.

This is utterly delicious. Even better reheated the next day. So comforting and tasty. I had high hopes based on other comments but found the final dish to be bland and mushy. I love the crispy-chewy texture of onions in mujaddara and really missed the contrast here.

The recipe just calls for veg broth — is it really worth making homemade veg broth versus store bought? Would be different if recipe called for chicken or beef stock. I mean i just used College Inn vegetable broth.

Nothing special. But the dish still tasted incredible. And the leftovers?? Forget about it… so dang good! I halved her recipe, following her weights and not cups. I added a box of spinach before putting in the farro, otherwise followed the instructions.

Will definitely be a staple in my winter lunch rotation. Broiling greuyere smells amazing. We love mujadarrah, and this is similar but the farro and cheese make it different in a wonderful way! I made this tonight and it was AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS!! So simple albeit time-consuming yet such deep flavors.

I used short-grain brown rice as Deb suggested in the comments to make it gluten-free and it was perfect…possibly could use only 5 cups of broth instead of 6 but 6 works if bake minutes.

Will definitely be making this again! I toasted some slices of bread under the broiler with it too. Oh my this was delicious. Filling and nutritious too! This will be in the regular rotation. OMG — One bite and this recipe immediately moved into my top 5 favorite Smitten Kitchen recipes!

SOOOOO yummy! THANK YOU FOR THIS DELICIOUS RECIPE! Oh my, this was tasty. I was concerned the dish would be flavourless, but I was wrong. A few well-handled, simple ingredients can be incredible. Perfect winter comfort dish although I will be tempted to make it all year long , esp. for french onion soup fans.

Caramelizing took longer for me always does , but I knew it would and it was worth it. I think I love this as much as the squash toasts!!!! I pulled the chicken before adding the cheese and boiling.

There were two main issues — it was waaaay too salty which, to be fair, could be due to the broth I used, Better Than Bouillon, which is quite salty , and perhaps worse, it tasted nothing like French onion soup.

I wonder if that had anything to do with it because I like many others used vegetable stock and it tasted exactly like French onion soup and was incredible. Mine had a wonderful strong taste of onion. I used a 4 cup box of vegetable broth and 2 cups of low sodium BTB broth.

You can get the low sodium version on line. Here in Eastern Massachusetts the low sodium version is not available in grocery stores. Made this as written for supper tonight and Oh Em Gee! What a fabulous dish! This is going in the rotation.

Thanks for yet another dish that is going in my regular rotation, Jen. You are the queen. I mean Deb, not Jen! You are a constant source of inspiration. Thanks for so many, many bean-friendly recipes. You are the queen! This was magically delicious and will go into my chilly weather rotation.

Also looking forward to trying the feta and tomato version. So warm, so filling, so deliciously cheesy. I could eat the entire casserole dish in one go. It was still divine. I also made my life way easier by slicing all my onions earlier this week and freezing them.

It did bump up that initial cooking time to about 30 minutes instead of since I had to wait for the onions to defrost and there was a lot more liquid, but I did not have to spend 20 minutes slicing onions and wiping away tears before cooking.

Update: dug some French bread slices out of the freezer and toasted them to eat with my leftovers. This was crazy good! I made a half batch for my hubby and I and the aroma in the kitchen was incredible. Loved the nuttiness of the farro and Gruyère, paired with the earthiness of the lentils.

Other than halving the recipe, made exactly per recipe and even the hubs asked for this to be added into rotation as a favorite. I used Manzanilla sherry for my dish. I thought it tasted exactly like french onion soup. I was afraid of oversalting it so I did not add any. I followeded all the cooking methods suggested.

Also, i feel recipe does not recipe does not factor in prep time for the onions. I let mine in for 40 minutes and added a splash of broth prior to adding cheese. So if you make this, i would suggest leaving yourself up to 3 hours to prepare. I made this three times in the past three weeks using all but one of the ingredients.

We strip the thyme from the stems and put them in when baking. I forgot it once. Trust me, the Thyme makes the dish. It is still good just nowhere nearly as good as with it.

Never forget the Thyme. This recipe is going viral this week in my Rancho Gordo bean club. This recipe is outstanding. Used my RG puglia lentils. Took a few extra minutes in the oven.

If you are even thinking about this recipe, just do it! I think next time I might try 1 cup of de puy lentils, maybe thicken it just ever so slightly. A real winner, and totally comforting on this sunny but chilly, Eastern Ontario day.

Perfect as is!!! Onions so flavorful with amazing umami. Super hearty and delish. Everyone loved the flavor and all the contrasting textures in the dish. Will make again for sure. Absolutely loved this dish. It was so rich, delicious and satisfying. When I saw how much it made I transferred half into a smaller casserole and only put cheese on that portion.

Made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS. The onions took a really long time to cook down but my house smelled wonderful and it was worth the wait. Great recipe. This was AMAZING! Kids ate seconds.

I made some modifications based upon what I had: 1cup Farro,. My kids absolutely loved it. It was filling and delicious! Would make a fabulous side dish for any type of meat main crispy chicken, steak.

Planning to reuse leftovers for something…. maybe Crack an egg on top? I made this last weekend and we loved it! Baked up in a casserole it came out like a pilaf. but it worked for us. This is delicious. Such a terrific dish for a cold winter night.

I happened to have some Italian lentils and I liked the toothiness of them. Another winner! My next experiment: buckwheat groats. Two pounds of onions, caramelized, and gruyere on top can only be good as long as the grain-lentil mix is cooked through and well-seasoned.

This is my favorite think about SK recipes: the flexibility of the base recipe idea. This looks sooooo warming, comforting and delish. Might try with rice as suggested to make it GF.

Our 7 and 4 year old both loved it as well. It is time consuming but so worth it. Will be a go-to recipe for our family for sure. I made this with mung beans instead of lentils all that was in the cupboard and it was delicious. Will it be as tasty without?

Or is there something I can substitute instead? In your pictures, is the top right how brown the onions get or the bottom left one, is that how brown the onions should get? Or had you added some brown stuff to the bottom left picture lentils, farro etc?

I google image searched carmelized onions and see they are dark brown, so probably your bottom left picture is how they should look. And Gruyère…. cannot go wrong! Delicious even before adding the cheese.

Will definitely make again. I made a quarter recipe with all the ingredients. I think the Sherry and gruyere are essential for the French Onion soup flavor. Will definitely share the recipe and make again!

This recipe is SO good. It took me well over an hour to get the onions to the right caramelization, and I had to bake for about 70 minutes to reduce the liquid enough. Tip- I use a sautéed onion bouillon base to richen up my veg stock and a little extra wine. But this is a new favorite for me and my people.

Smitten Kitchen is my go to for great recipes and the best blog. This recipe looks just amazing. Usually I can figure out how I can make it Celiac friendly but I am at a loss to know what to do to sub out Farro… Quinoa or Buckwheat groats?

This dish was super simple and absolutely wonderful. Great feedback from a number of people. Outstanding recipe!

This is a great recipe overall—a short ingredient list, uncomplicated to prepare and wonderful flavors. For me, I thought the onions got a touch overshadowed by the lentils and farro. The gruyere is wonderful!

This was absolutely delicious! My 10 year old and I are both vegetarian and we both loved it. Will definitely make again :. Absolutely delicious.

Made as is and was blown away by the depth of flavor. The house smelled incredible too. As always when caramelizing onions, pushing them to a dark brown color is worth its weight in gold.

Makes for a prettier dish as well. Bless Maillard! Bless Deb! I did buy a smaller wedge of gruyere ~6. I just made this… it is absolutely amazing both visually and texturally. A delicious meal, nice work!

First recipe in a while I felt like I had to immediately share with friends and family. Deb, this is such a winner. You do not get enough credit as one of THE best home chefs that consistently delivers amazing often healthy and plant filled recipes on the regular.

I made this with barley instead of farro and no other changes and had the time of my life I added a dollup of sour cream and all pain in my body and mind vanished. I own all of your cookbooks and check out your recipes regularly and you have made my life better.

I recommend you and dorie greenspan on the same level to my friends for when i bake or cook something and get rave reviews — they are true never fail recipes thank you every day.

i meant pearled barley not farro, was this review influenced by red wine, yes but the point stands. Oh my, this was very good! I made it as written except that I used Fontina cheese. I used brown lentils and white wine. Using a food processor to slice the onions made it faster and easier.

Could you specify what type of farro you use in the recipe? I just made this with traditional non-pearled farro and followed all directions precisely but it was still undercooked after over 2h in the oven. It may have worked with pearled, semi-pearled, or quick-cook farro all of which are pretty common.

Flavor was great though! I would try this again with a quicker cooking variety that would match the cooking time or the lentils. If the package says it takes, say, 90 minutes to cook, just add it 45 minutes sooner.

this was so delicious and satisfying on a cold day that immediately i sent the recipe to at least three other people before realizing i had completely forgotten to use the cheese. This is SO good!

I live alone and halved the recipe but honestly could have eaten these leftovers all week. I made this as written but with 10 minute farro, and it still turned out great! The farro was on the soft side but it still had a bit of bite to it. All I can say is WOW!

My partner has been trying to get me to make something with farro so this was the dish and it was so good and definitely on the rotation. It was super easy too. this was absolutely amazing!

the only thing i added was a splash of white balsamic to the onions and served with some baby kale and maple-dijon vinaigrette. Made this tonight and it was super yummy. It is a commitment though — an hour to prep and another hour or so to bake mostly hands off time which is nice, but still a two hour meal.

Probably not a weeknight meal I would add into the rotation too frequently but good for a cold winter night. A super tasty vegetarian dish indeed! To save a few calories, I mixed Gruyère with panko, the result is almost identical. And to add a little explosion of flavour, drizzle a few drops of really good truffle oil on top it when serving — a poem!

Served with a side salad and crusty bread. Even my two 8 year-olds ate it with no complaints. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

Skip to content This is clearly not a pasta bake, but it was supposed to be one. French Onion Baked Lentils and Farro Servings: 6 to 8 Time: 1 hour 45 minutes, mostly hands off Print This dish was inspired by a message from an Elizabeth from Oakland, CA, I am so grateful for.

Heat your oven: To °F °C. To finish: Sprinkle the dish with gruyere and broil until browned on top. Share this: Twitter Facebook Email Pinterest. rolled spinach omelet. crispy potatoes with mushrooms. Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published.

I Made This I Have a Question Notify me of follow-up comments by email. All Comments I Made This! You never have to pre-soak lentils as they cook rapidly and evenly without it. I love your farro recipes… as soon as I saw this I had to make it! Mary Madeira. Maybe because your comment has a really bad description of the appearance of what you made?

Laura in Little Rock. Zhaleh Amini-Vaughan. Terry Buske. I, too, am looking for a farro substitute. Would brown rice work? I used barley instead of Farro and beef broth for vegetable. It makes a LOT! Kasha is a good gluten free sub for farro, has a similar texture.

Can you substitute dried thyme for the time sprigs?

Lentils are one of those secret-weapon ingredients. These tiny legumes are high in protein, fiber and healthy carbs, while being naturally low in sodium, sugars and fat. They're also sources of a ton of other nutrients, including potassium, zinc, magnesium, thiamin, niacin, B6 and many others. But beyond their nutritive value, lentils are, quite simply, delicious!

They come in a variety of colors and textures, so you can eat them frequently without getting bored. They are quick to cook, and require no soaking, so they are a perfect way to get more legumes into your diet without some of the fuss that most dried beans present.

They work well in all sorts of recipes , from cold salads to hearty soups , and can be either a side dish or a main course. Especially for vegetarians, vegans or people who are trying to include more plant-based meals in their diet, lentils are a way to ensure that you are getting enough protein.

Before we learn how to cook lentils, we need to know about the different varieties available. These slate-colored lentils are ideal for salads.

They cook quickly on the stovetop in a similar method to making pasta and, once cooked, will last up to a week in the fridge. They have a nutty flavor and retain their shape when cooked.

Try them in these recipes:. Very Green Lentil Soup. Lentil Stew with Salsa Verde. These black lentils resemble caviar, hence the name. Similar in style to the French green lentils, with a slightly musky flavor, they also work well in salads, and can stand up to strong flavors and intense spices.

A few recipes to try:. Roasted Salmon with Lentil "Caviar". These lighter-green lentils are ideal for use in rice pilaf dishes, since they retain their shape but have a creamy center.

They also work very well for side dishes, and can be sautéed once cooked to add a bit of crisp texture. Have some on hand? Give one of these recipes a whirl:. Lemony Lentil Salad with Salmon. Lentil Burgers.

These lentils are ideal for soups and stews, where some of them will stay intact, and others will break down and get creamy, for a soup with wonderful texture. The skins are thin, so they can also be pureed if you prefer a smooth soup. Cook them up in one of these recipes:.

Lemony Lentil Soup with Collards. These lentils have been peeled, so are just the creamy interior. They will break down pretty completely during cooking, and are traditional for dishes like dal, but can also be used for unique versions of either refried-style beans or hummus or other bean dips.

Or try them in one of these recipes:. Winter Vegetable Dal. Red Lentil Fritters with Ginger-Yogurt Sauce. Chocolate-Banana Protein Smoothie. In general, because of their quick cooking time, dried lentils are the perfect pantry secret weapon. Another benefit is you can season them yourself.

Canned lentils are a good thing to have on hand for truly last-minute dishes, since they are already cooked and just need to be rinsed before using.

They may also have added salt, something to watch for particularly if you're watching your sodium intake. They are also good for making dips and spreads, since they tend to have a much softer texture than you might get when cooking your own lentils from dried.

You can also sometimes find vacuum-sealed cooked lentils, which have a more al dente texture than canned. Dried lentils should be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place.

Lentils will last in your pantry for up to a year before they begin to get tough. They will still be edible, but will take longer to get tender and may taste a bit bland. Cooked lentils should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, where they can last up to five days.

If you are cooking lentils and want to still have little pops of texture, it is important not to overcook them so that you avoid mushy lentils. Always start tasting for doneness a good 7 to 10 minutes before you think they might be done to help give you a sense of how much longer your lentils need to cook.

And tasting at least four different lentils from different areas of the pot will also help you judge cooking time. Lentils are a nutrient-dense food, rich in both protein and fiber. Fiber has a slew of health benefits , including lowering the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Lentils are also high in the B vitamin folate , a particularly important nutrient for pregnant and lactating women. Cooking lentils on the stovetop is simple, and just requires a few basic steps.

To begin, for any style of lentil, pick through to find and discard any little rocks or debris, then rinse well. The best method for cooking French, beluga, green or brown lentils is to cook them in lots of boiling water then drain them when tender.

Scroll down for more instructions. Since red lentils break down during cooking, it is recommended to cook them in just the amount of liquid they need to become tender.

Pressure cookers are great for speeding up lentil cooking. As for the stovetop, pick through for debris, and rinse well. It will be important to follow the specific instructions that come with your cooker, but generally, you will use 2 cups of water per 1 cup of lentils.

Depending on your cooker, lentils like green or brown will need to cook for 12 to 15 minutes once the pot comes to pressure; red might be done in as little as 3 to 5 minutes.

Once the pot has finished its cycle and you have followed the recommendations for releasing the pressure, drain the lentils in a colander and continue with your recipe. Bring water to a boil in a large pot if cooking red lentils use 4 cups of water; use 6 cups for all other types of lentils. Add lentils; cook, uncovered, until tender, 15 to 25 minutes for French green and Beluga, 20 to 30 minutes for green or brown lentils, and 15 to 20 minutes for red lentils.

You may not need to drain red lentils. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. Per the Food and Drug Administration FDA , the daily value is based on a standard 2, calorie diet.

Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.

Please note: These lentils were harvested on equipment shared with wheat. We are finding some wheat kernels mixed in with the lentils and if wheat is an allergen for you, we recommend avoiding this crop.

As with all our crops, we recommend sorting and checking for organic debris, and rinsing well. Ideal in soups and salads, or folded into yogurt as a perfect summer dish. Check lentils for debris, and rinse thoroughly. Place in a pot and add enough water to cover by about 2 inches.

If you like, add aromatics like a bay leaf or garlic clove. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until done, 25 to 35 minutes. Salt to taste. Remove aromatics, and serve. Chris Cohen Saveur Magazine. For orders or assistance: Out Of Stock!

We will notify you when this product becomes available. Available on:. Description Small, gentle, quick-cooking lentils with a luxurious flavor and texture.