You’re going to love this French lentils recipe with caramelized onions and chopped pistachios.
It’s wonderful as a main or side dish. Serve it over sautéed kale or alongside salad.
I often say that French lentils du Puy are the Cadillac of lentils. (They are also known as green French or Puy lentils.)
They have a painted-on, eggshell appearance that gives them a natural beauty. Their diminutive size is about a third of standard brown lentils.
And like all lentils, they don’t have to soak before using. That makes them an easy, weeknight meal.
Once cooked, they retain their disc-like shape and slightly firm texture, thanks to a thick skin.
It makes them perfect for adding to salads or serving all on their own.
Finally, the flavor of Puy lentils has an earthy, metallic taste that shines with other dense flavors.
I especially love serving them with caramelized onions, chopped pistachios, and a swish of stoneground mustard.
The sweetness of the onions and salty richness of the nuts combines beautifully with the tinny lentils.
Served on top of garlicky sautéed kale, French lentils become a filling and simple meal that is loaded with good-for-you things like fiber, iron, and protein.
Where to find French lentils
You can find French lentils in bulk bins or bagged at natural grocery stores.
They’re sold in the dry goods section of mainstream stores like Target for a few dollars.
Of course, you can also get them online.
Step by step instructions
Here are the ingredients you will need for French lentils with caramelized onions.
(For full ingredient amounts, keep scrolling to the recipe box below.)
Put French lentils into fine mesh sieve.
Wash them & pick out any debris.
Bring the lentils to a boil with water & bouillon in a pot.
Once boiling, turn the heat to low & cover.
Cook for about 25 minutes, until al dente.
In a separate skillet, sauté onions in oil with salt at a medium high heat.
Once they have some color, turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until soft.
Add a drizzle of agave or maple syrup.
Add chopped pistachios, drained lentils, and mustard.
Combine. Add salt to taste.
Make them your own
You can make these lentils your own by varying the ingredients.
- Instead of French lentils, use green or brown lentils. The cooking time may vary. Cook until just al dente.
- Do NOT use red lentils instead. They fall apart into a mush and won’t work here.
- Instead of onions, use leeks or shallots.
- Use agave or your preferred liquid sweetener instead of maple syrup.
- Add herbs like thyme, rosemary, or herbs de Provence.
- Instead of pistachios, use toasted pine nuts or Marcona almonds.
What to serve with them
French lentils can be a main course or side dish.
Serve them alongside any of the following:
- Sautéed kale or kale salad
- Baked fries, lemony potatoes, or mustard mashed potatoes
- Grilled Portobello mushrooms
- Broccolini with garlic & kale
- Fall salad with apples
How to store leftovers
This dish is perfect for meal planning. It keeps nicely in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. (Add a splash of water if it gets too dried out in the pot.)
Add a pinch of salt & fresh handful of pistachios just before serving for added crunch.
French lentils with caramelized onions and pistachios
Ingredients
For the lentils
- 1 cup French lentils rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- ½ vegetable bouillon cube or ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon no chicken base
- salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil or organic canola oil
- ½ small yellow onion thinly sliced in half moons
- ¼ teaspoon agave syrup or maple syrup
- Handful pistachios chopped
- ½ teaspoon stoneground mustard
Instructions
- In a small soup pot, bring lentils, water, half of a bouillon cube (or ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon no chicken base), and a generous pinch of salt to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to low and cover the pot. Continue cooking for 25 to 30 minutes. Taste the lentils. The texture should still have a little bite to it without being hard. Once the lentils are ready, most of the water should be absorbed, but if necessary, drain the lentils with a fine mesh sieve.
- While the lentils are cooking, bring a separate medium-sized skillet to a medium high heat. Add oil to the skillet. Once the oil is glistening, add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the onion gets some nice brown color. Then turn the heat to low and continue cooking the onions for 20 minutes, until they are very soft.
- Near the end of their cooking time, add a drizzle of agave or maple syrup to the onions and combine. Add the chopped pistachios to the warm skillet and warm them for a minute or two with the onions.
- Add the drained lentils and mustard to the skillet and combine. Add salt to taste. Serve lentils on a bed of sautéed kale or with salad.
Notes
Nutrition
Content, recipe, and photos updated June 16, 2021. Originally posted May 7, 2015.
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David Busch
Mmmmm, love lentils, and pistachios! I also like to say that pistachios are the “French lentils du Puy” of nuts!
Cadry
Yes, that’s quite the well worn adage! 🙂
cookeasyvegan
I love lentils, but sometimes I get tired of the lentil soup we always seem to have. Thanks for reminding me that lentils are great on their own. The caramelized onions and pistachios sound like ideal flavor enhancers, and the kale just makes the whole dish perfect. I really like the unfussy, simplicity, too. It’s exactly the sort of dish I want for dinner!
Cadry
I’m so glad to hear that, Andrea! It’s definitely a common dinner around here. It’s ready in only about a half an hour, inexpensive, filling, and good for you too. Can’t beat that!
Shell
I wish I could say that I love lentils. I feel like the odd man out! I have very little experience with lentils. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever eaten lentils. Help me out – do you know if I’ve ever eaten them?
Cadry
Don’t feel bad. I didn’t eat lentils growing up in my household either. The first time I ever had them was in a soup at an Armenian restaurant. They’re also fairly common in Indian dishes. Since you love chickpeas, I think you’d be all over lentils. You should make the curried red lentil soup I posted not long ago. It’s really easy, and I know you are a fan of curry. Oh, and there’s also a canned lentil soup at Trader Joe’s that I used to enjoy. I don’t know if they sell it anymore, but you could look for it the next time you’re there.
Nicole {VeganShowOff.com}
Genius pistachio opening trick! I love pistachios but when I come across a stubborn one I usually just get frustrated and set them aside and move on to the next. Can’t wait to try this trick! I love all lentils and this recipe looks delicious!
Cadry
Awesome! Give it a try next time, and let me know how it goes!
Marissa
I’ve never had french lentils with pistachios, but that sounds really good. I usually snack on all my pistachios before I can actually do anything with them! 😉
Cadry
Luckily, it’s a no lose situation. Either way you get pistachios out of the deal. 😀
Abby Bean
That is a great pistachio trick; I really thought you were going to say, “give them to your dad,” which is what I do. Those lentils look top notch!
Cadry
Ha, ha! I wish I had said that! Of course, that would mean I’d have to add in gas costs whenever I wanted to eat pistachios. 😉
pgyx
Thanks, this looks so easy and delicious! Will make it this weekend with chard as we have no kale, but do have all the other ingredients. Will let you know how it turns out! P.S. Your pistachio-opening trick is genius!
pgyx
Made this tonight and it was a hit (and very easy to make), thank you! I added a dash of cayenne-habanero pepper to satisfy Mr. PGYx’s heat-loving tastebuds. I also added a tiny spritz of lemon to my plate for some extra tang. It was so delicious served over an entire bunch of rainbow chard and sliced stems.
Will definitely make again and try with kale, collards, or spinach when we get some at the farmer’s market! I think it would also be yummy over fresh spinach or arugula during hotter weather.
pgyx
Oops, forgot to add that your pistachio-opening trick worked! So glad I have that one in my arsenal now. I promise to always give you credit when I share it with others!
Cadry
Excellent! I’m so glad to hear all of that. Thanks for letting me know! Good call on the lemon. I do that oftentimes with greens too. It brightens things up nicely! I haven’t tried adding cayenne-habenero pepper. I’m a big heat fan too. I’ll give that a shot next time!
Thank you for the future credit on the pistachio trick. I’m glad to be leaving a pistachio legacy. 😉
An Unrefined Vegan
I’m with you: love lentils however I can get them, but those darling little French ones are the best! And with caramelized onions…le sigh :-)!
Cadry
I’m glad they make your heart sing too! 🙂
River
Excellent tip, Cadry! I have tossed many pistachios across the room in frustration because I couldn’t get them open. Pesky things! Now I need to buy myself some pistachios to put your tip to good use! 🙂
This lentil dish looks amazing. I love lentils AND caramelized onions, so I could happily eat a truckload of this!
Cadry
Awesome! I’m glad it’s a useful tip!
johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe
love puy lentils but haven’t had them for a while – red lentil are always here, brown sometimes and puy when I feel fancy or have a particular need! love your casserole and I might have to buy pistachios just to try your method for opening the tough ones
Cadry
That’s great, Johanna! You’ll have to let me know how it goes.
Becky Striepe
That looks so good! Caramelized onions make everything better.
Cadry
Agreed! They are a big win in a meal.
Cecdkc
Great recipe! Simple and delicious. I added fresh thyme to the lentils, which was the icing in the cake.
Cadry
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it. Fresh thyme sounds like a delicious addition!