Sweet and Sour Lentils Baked with Honey, Vinegar and Leeks
These sweet and sour baked lentils with honey, vinegar, and leeks is a Greek recipe that I adapted from a dish called Minoan Lentils, which was originally published in the My Greek Table book. It’s so nutritious, easy and delicious, that it stands as a kind of poster child for great Mediterranean diet bean recipes. Lentils are, after all, one of the oldest cultivated legumes in the Eastern Mediterranean and something we Greeks eat about once a week in every season of the year. The extra virgin Greek olive oil, pine honey, garlic, leek, bay leaf, herbs and spices lend an extraordinary flavor to the humble lentil. Enjoy!
RATING
SERVES
4
PREP TIME
20 min
COOK TIME
50 min
Ingredients
- 1 large leek trimmed and chopped
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic or garlic paste
- ½ cup extra virgin Greek olive oil
- 1 ½ cups small green or brown lentils
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds ground in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 large bay leaves
- 1 heaping tablespoon Greek pine or thyme honey or more to taste
- 2 – 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 4 – 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350F / 160C.
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Chop the leek. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the leek until wilted. Stir in the garlic.
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Add the lentils and toss to coat in the olive oil. Pour in enough water to cover by about a half inch, add a tablespoon or two of olive oil, the bay leaves, coriander, cumin, honey and vinegar. Season to taste with salt. Stir everything together to combine well and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about ten minutes.
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Transfer the lentils to a glass, ceramic or clay baking dish. Add enough water to cover by about ¾ of an inch. Add the thyme sprigs and 2 – 3 more tablespoons of olive oil. Bake the lentils uncovered for about 45 minutes, until they expand and soften and all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove and serve.
Want to learn more easy, healthy Mediterranean diet recipes? Sign up for my online course “Mastering the Mediterranean!“
Want to learn more easy, healthy Mediterranean diet recipes? Sign up for my online course “Mastering the Mediterranean!“
