Hearty lentil stew with a secret ingredient

We love lentils period! They are healthy & crazily delicious. Dried lentils can be stored for a very long time, once cooked they can be refrigerated for up to a week in an airtight container, or they could be frozen for up to six months. They contain a lot of protein and fibre, key minerals like potassium, iron, folate and manganese, You can find more info about this fantastic legume here and here.

Our favourite lentil dish is this lentil stew. It is a tradition in Hungary to eat lentils on the first day of the New Year in order to have a lot of money in the coming year. I cannot tell you if it works, but it’s definitely worth a try especially with this recipe, that has been a hit among our family and friends. The only comment I usually get, is that I did not make enough :).

And what is the secret ingredient? Believe it or not, it’s mustard! Mustard provides this dish a wonderful and unforgettable flavour. It gives the stew a tangy and characteristic taste and some colour too.

Hearty lentil stew with a secret ingredient

500 g dry green lentils

1 small onion

2-3 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

1 piece lemon rind

3 tbsp flour

½ cup milk

2 tbsp prepared mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar

1.5 L water

1.5 tsp salt

ground pepper

hard-boiled eggs (optional)

Rinse lentils in water, and remove dust and debris. No need to soak lentils prior cooking.

In a large saucepan add the lentils, whole onion (or a quarter of a large onion), minced garlic, bay leaves, one piece of lemon rind (whole, not grated!), and water. Bring to boil, and let it simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes, until lentils are tender.

In the meantime in a small bowl whisk together the flour, milk and mustard

Once the lentils are tender, remove & discard the onion, lemon rind, and bay leaves.

Add 3-5 tbsp of hot water from the lentils to the flour mix and stir. Remove the lentils from the heat, let them cool for a few minutes, add the flour-mustard mixture and stir. Put the saucepan back on medium heat and cook it for another 3-4 more minutes while stirring. Add the lemon juice or vinegar, salt, pepper, and more mustard if needed. Garnish with a hard boiled egg and / or wieners and fresh bread for a hearty Hungarian meal!

You might like these savoury vegetarian recipes too!

Savoy cabbage stew recipe

Easy and quick  leek soup

Hungarian cauliflower soup

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Hearty lentil stew with a secret ingredient

Cuisine Hungarian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Author Hungarian Eats

Ingredients

• 500 g dry green lentils ( no need to soak lentils)
• 1 small onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 piece lemon rind
• 3 tbsp flour
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp prepared mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 1.5 L water
• 1.5 tsp salt
• ground pepper

Instructions

• Rinse lentils in water, and remove dust and debris. No need to soak lentils prior cooking.
• In a large saucepan add the lentils, whole onion (or a quarter of a large onion), minced garlic, bay leaves, one piece of lemon rind (whole, not grated!), salt, pepper, and water. Bring to boil, and let it simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes, until lentils are tender.
• In the meantime in a small bowl whisk together the flour, milk and mustard.
• Once the lentils are tender, remove and discard the onion, lemon rind, and bay leaves.
• Add 3-5 tbsp of hot water from the lentils to the flour mix and stir. Remove the lentils from the heat, let them cool for a few minutes, add the flour-mustard mixture and stir. Put the saucepan back on medium heat, and cook it for another 3-4 more minutes while stirring. Add the lemon juice or vinegar, and more salt, pepper, mustard if needed.
• Garnish with a hard boiled egg and/or wieners and fresh bread for a hearty Hungarian meal!

Notes

You can use canned lentils instead of dry ones. In that case rinse it in fresh water to reduce the sodium content.

Add the salt after the lentils are cooked, as adding it before can make the lentils tough.

To add a smokey flavour, cook a piece of smoked meat (small piece of duck breast for example) before you add the lentils to the water. Make sure to soak the meat before to reduce the sodium content. Use only a smaller piece not to overwhelm the stew with the smokey flavour. Remove the meat once it is cooked, cut into smaller pieces, and serve on the side, or on top of the stew.

Instead of milk you can use sour cream or cream. If the mix is too thick, use some cold water to dilute it, and then add some hot liquid from the lentils. 

The reason to add some hot liquid to the flour mix is to avoid getting flour lumps in the stew. 

This meal keeps well for several days in the refrigerator. If the stew is too thick the next day, just add a bit of milk or water to it when reheating it. 

It is really up to you how much mustard and lemon juice/vinegar you use. If you like it more sour, add a bit more of the juice. If it needs some more “character”, add more mustard to the stew. Feel free to experiment and find your own favourite balance of flavours. 

Serve it as it is, or with hard boiled eggs, boiled frankfurters, fresh bread. 

 

 

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