Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Braised Lentils with Spinach

By Lidia Bastianich

3.8

(24)

Lenticchie Brasate

This recipe is an accompaniment for Chicken Breast Valdostana with Braised Lentils.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups brown lentils
2 small onions, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 stalk celery, trimmed and diced (about 1 1/2 cup)
2 bay leaves
Salt
1/2 cup chicken stock or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups finely shredded fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and drained

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Pour enough cold water over the lentils, onions, carrots, celery, and bay leaves in a 3-quart saucepan to cover by three fingers. Season with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust the heat so the water is at a gentle boil and cook until the lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain the lentils, discard the bay leaves, and transfer to a large skillet.

    Step 2

    Pour in the chicken stock and olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid is reduced enough to coat the lentils, about 3 minutes. Scatter the spinach over the lentils and toss just until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately.

Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Bastianich Knopf
TagsItalian AmericanItalianEuropeanBrown LentilLentilBean and LegumeVegetableSpinachLeafy GreensCarrotRoot VegetableOnionCelerySideDinnerNut FreeGluten FreeEasyBraiseCookbooks
Read More
Charred Vegetable Ragù
This sauce is slightly magical. The texture cloaks pasta much like a traditional meat sauce does, and the flavors are deep and rich, but it’s actually vegan!
Smothered Italian Sausage
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.
Gigante Beans With Seaweed Salmoriglio
Salmoriglio is a Mediterranean sauce with herbs, garlic, and olive oil. In this version, kelp is used as the base of the sauce.
Fufu
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Creamy Fondue Beans
All the cozy vibes of the classic gooey-cheesy dish, made into a 20-minute meal.
Sofrito Bolognese
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
Spaghetti With Cabbage, Pancetta, and Calabrian Chile
Cabbage is the unsung hero of the winter kitchen—available anywhere, long-lasting in the fridge, and super-affordable. It’s also an excellent partner for pasta.
Stir-Fried Phở Noodles With Beef
This dish is not only a quick meal option but also a practical way to use leftover phở noodles when you’re out of broth.