I’ve been making versions of this dish ever since I first learned to cook in my 20’s. I have some friends who have a more legume heavy diet than I currently do, and I wanted to make them a comfort meal because they’ve been spending a lot of time in hospitals lately. One of them was hit by a car while walking on a quiet road, early in the morning. There isn’t a good shoulder on the road, and he flew over the car on impact and landed on the road, his neck completely broken. After weeks of recovery and a lots of steel in his neck, he comes home today, and they both could use a good meal. Cooking nourishing food for others brings me a lot of joy. I wanted to make them a dish that they would love and knowing how much they enjoy legumes and mediterranean flavors, I know they’ll love it.
- Please use sidewalks if you’re walking along the road. These days, with people texting and driving, you can never be too safe.
Now, you might be wondering why I’m posting a recipe with lentils since they’re not “paleo” and have “evil” carbs. Well, although they’re not a regular staple in my diet, sometimes I eat lentils. I enjoy the taste of them and of all of the legumes, they have the highest protein to calorie ratio, meaning high protein for a low calorie cost. They can also be grown in a regenerative way, giving nitrogen back to the soil (check out these folks to buy regenerative lentils) . If you’ve been avoiding them because you’re worried about them spiking your blood sugar, test them against a continuous glucose monitor. You might be surprised to find that they don’t have as big an impact as you assume.
- 1lb ground meat (turkey, beef, lamb, or pork will all work)
- 1 cup gluten free breadcrumbs (regular are fine too, if you tolerate gluten)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 TBS chopped fresh mint
- 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tsp paprika
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 cup dried lentils
- ¾ tsp salt, plus salt to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper, plus pepper to taste
- 2 TBS olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 8 shiitake mushrooms, diced (you can substitute other mushrooms, about ⅓ cup)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (14oz) small diced tomatoes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs, half of the garlic, 3 TBS of the mint, the parsley, paprika, cumin, cloves, cayenne pepper, the ¾ tsp of salt and the ½ tsp pepper. Mix well and form into about 24 little meatballs. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10 min. Remove from oven and set aside.
- Meanwhile, remove and discard any damaged lentils or stones. Rinse lentils and set aside.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook about 10 min, stirring, until onion is translucent. Add the lentils and chicken broth, cover and simmer for about 20 min, until lentils are soft.
- Next, add the meatballs and tomatoes plus the juice from the can. Cover again and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and garnish with remaining 5 TBS of mint.
1 thought on “French Lentil Stew with Meatballs and Mint”
Made this last night and it is delicious! Followed recipe to the “T”. Added a tiny extra bit of sea salt. Our guests asked for the recipe as they enjoyed it so much. A winner, thank you! This will go into our rotation 🙂