Braised Lentils with Squash, Mushrooms and Baby Kale
Warming and nutritious, this dish makes a comforting meatless main or a hearty side. The recipe calls for maitake mushrooms, also known as hen of the woods mushrooms. If they’re not available, swap in other wild or cultivated mushrooms, such as chanterelles, shiitakes or portobellos. To infuse the lentils with even more flavor, you can cook them in vegetable stock instead of water. The dish is finished with a dollop of Greek yogurt, which gets a golden hue from turmeric and a kick of heat from cayenne, if you like.
Ingredients:
For the turmeric yogurt:
- 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) whole-milk Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 cup (7 oz./220 g) beluga lentils- 2 garlic cloves, smashed, plus 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/2 cups (20 fl. oz./625 ml) water
- 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 small delicata squash, about 1 lb. (500 g), halved lengthwise, seeded and cut crosswise into half-moons 1/2 inch (12 mm) thick
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz./180 ml) vegetable stock
- 10 oz. (315 g) maitake mushrooms, torn lengthwise into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces
- 2 cups (3 oz./90 g) loosely packed baby kale
- 1/4 cup (1 oz./30 g) toasted walnuts
Directions:
To make the turmeric yogurt, in a bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, cayenne, 1/2 tsp. salt and black pepper to taste. In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, turmeric and 1/8 tsp. salt. Drizzle the turmeric oil over the yogurt or stir it into the yogurt until blended. Set aside.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the lentils, smashed garlic cloves, bay leaf and water. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid. Remove and discard the garlic cloves and bay leaf.
Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add the delicata squash, season with a pinch of salt and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) of the stock and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the squash is tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer the squash to a plate.
In the same pan over medium heat, melt 1 Tbs. of the butter. Add the mushrooms and sliced garlic, season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) of the stock and simmer until the liquid is reduced and the mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes.
Add the delicata squash, lentils, kale and the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the remaining 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) stock to the pan and gently toss until the butter is melted and the kale is slightly wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the walnuts and turmeric yogurt and serve. Serves 4 to 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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