The leaves are turning. The mornings are crisp and cold. It’s autumn—bean weather.
Need some music to get you in that autumn state of mind? Put on a warm sweater, grab a steaming cup of Darjeeling tea (stirred with a cinnamon stick, of course) and cue up Eva Cassidy’s classic “Autumn Leaves” here. You’ll be headed to your kitchen to whip up some pumpkin bread and cook some beans in no time. (I’ve written about Eva Cassidy here before. She is a personal favorite–a voice for the ages.)
This bean dish marries beans (I used cranberry beans) and French green lentils together in a delicious tomatoey sauce. The lentils’ chewiness contrasts beautifully with the creamy texture of the beans.
As a final touch, stir some garlicky lemon gremolata into each serving, or top each serving with some pretty pickled red onions.
Trust me, no one will leave the table hungry after eating this hearty dish.
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 C. extra-virgin olive oil (divided)
- 1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
- 5 medium carrots (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 5 celery stalks (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (undrained--I used diced tomatoes with green chiles)
- 2 fresh tomatoes (cut into 1 inch dice)
- 6 garlic cloves (finely chopped--divided)
- 2 T. plus 1/2 t. kosher salt (divided)
- 2 t. freshly-ground black pepper (or to taste)
- 1 1/2 C. dried French green lentils
- 2 dried bay leaves (or fresh)
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 5 C. water
- 6 C. Cooked beans (I used cranberry but you could use a mixture)
- 1 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 C. packed chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 1/2 t. grated lemon zest
Instructions
- Note: This recipe makes 10 generous servings. It can easily be halved to serve a smaller number of people.
- Sauté onion, carrots and celery in 1/2 C. olive oil that has been heated in a large Dutch oven. You want the vegetables to be tender and this will take about 20 minutes over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally as the vegetables cook. Add tomatoes, 1 T. garlic, 2 t. salt and 1 t. pepper to the pan. Stir and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato juices begin to cook down.
- Add lentils, bay leaves, rosemary sprig and 5 cups of water to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. Stir this mixture occasionally to be sure nothing is sticking. You want the lentils to be cooked until they are just tender.
- Add beans, remaining 4 t. salt and remaining 1 t. pepper to the pan. Stir to combine. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes uncovered over low heat until the beans are heated through and the lentils are tender. Stir the bean/lentil mixture occasionally to be sure your stew is not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan. You also can add more liquid to your stew if you wish. Stir in lemon juice and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Chop fresh parsley. Add lemon zest, 1/2 t. salt and 1 T. finely-chopped garlic. Let the mixture cure on your counter for about 10 minutes before proceeding. After 10 minutes, add the remaining 1/2 C. olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with a spoonful of gremolata stirred into each portion or serve topped with pickled red onions.
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The original recipe for this bean dish appeared in Food and Wine Magazine in their Fall 2020 issue. Here is a link: Bean and Lentil Stew.
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