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You’re going to love this vegan lentil recipe with caramelized onions and chopped pistachios. It’s wonderful as a gluten-free side dish, served with salad, or over sautéed kale. Plus, I share my secret tip on how to open stubborn pistachios!
I always say that French lentils du Puy are the Cadillac of lentils. Simple brown lentils or fall-apart-in-your-mouth red lentils have an open invitation to my dinner plate.
However, there’s something extra special about French lentils du Puy. They have a painted-on, eggshell appearance that gives them a natural beauty. And like all lentils, they don’t have to soak before using. That makes them an easy, weeknight meal.
Once cooked, French lentils retain their disc-like shape and slightly firm texture. It makes them perfect for adding to salads or serving all on their own since they have a bite and density that is lacking in some of their lentil-y brethren.
Finally, the flavor of French lentils du Puy has an earthy, metallic taste that shines with other dense flavors.
Vegan lentil recipe with caramelized onions & pistachios
My favorite way to cook French lentils du Puy is with caramelized onions and toasted pistachios on a bed of sautéed kale, and often with a side of baked fries.
The sweetness of the onions and salty richness of the nuts combines beautifully with the tinny lentils. On top of garlicky sautéed kale, this vegan lentil recipe becomes a filling and simple meal that is loaded with good-for-you things like fiber, iron, and protein.
As an alternative, I also enjoy these lentils alongside a raw kale salad with creamy cashew dressing. Let’s face it, lentils and dark, leafy greens just play well together.
Oh, and by the way, don’t let the Cadillac comparison fool you. The whole meal is inexpensive to make.
I buy French lentils in the bulk bin at my natural grocery store. Then I wash them in a fine mesh sieve, picking out any debris mixed in with the lentils.
(Definitely use a fine mesh sieve and not your regular strainer, because French lentils are on the very small side. They’ll just fall through a traditional strainer.)
How to open pistachios
Also included in this recipe is that often forgotten nut, the pistachio.
Pistachios are one of my favorite nuts, but somehow I’d never eaten one until I moved to California in my twenties. After that, I made up for lost time.
For cooking purposes, I prefer to buy them shelled. That way, you don’t have to open shells for ten minutes before finishing dinner. However, sometimes I only have the in-shell ones on hand. (They are a great snack between meals.)
When opening shells, you’ll occasionally come across a stubborn pistachio with only the tiniest opening. So here’s how to open stubborn pistachios…
Using fingers alone, it can be difficult to crack them open and get to that salty sweet pistachio inside. In those situations, here’s my trick.
Use one of the leftover shells to squeeze inside of the tiny opening. Then rotate the shell remnant to the side in a twisting motion. It will crack the pistachio open easily.
Vegan lentil recipe with caramelized onions & pistachios
Ingredients
For the lentils
- 1 cup French lentils du Puy rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 vegetable bouillon cube optional
- 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 small yellow onion thinly sliced in half moons
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon agave syrup
- Handful pistachios chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon stoneground mustard
For the sautéed kale
- 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 bunch curly kale removed from ribs and roughly chopped
- Up to 1 Tablespoon water
- Salt to taste
Instructions
To make the lentils
- In a small soup pot, bring the lentils, water, and half of a bouillon cube (if using) 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.
- While the lentils are cooking, bring a separate medium-sized skillet to a medium high heat. Add extra virgin olive 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 the agave 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.
To make sautéed kale
- Bring a large skillet to a medium heat. Add oil to the skillet and allow it to warm. Once the oil is glistening, add garlic to the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add chopped kale to the pan. Move the kale with a spatula around the pan.* It will wilt as it comes into contact with the heat from the skillet. If the kale is looking dry, add water to the skillet, one teaspoon at a time, creating steam which will help the kale to wilt. The kale will only need to cook for about five minutes in total until it has completely softened. Add salt to taste.
David Busch says
Mmmmm, love lentils, and pistachios! I also like to say that pistachios are the “French lentils du Puy” of nuts!
Cadry says
Yes, that’s quite the well worn adage! 🙂
cookeasyvegan says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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} says
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 says
Awesome! Give it a try next time, and let me know how it goes!
Marissa says
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 says
Luckily, it’s a no lose situation. Either way you get pistachios out of the deal. 😀
Abby Bean says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
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 says
I’m glad they make your heart sing too! 🙂
River says
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 says
Awesome! I’m glad it’s a useful tip!
johanna @ Green Gourmet Giraffe says
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 says
That’s great, Johanna! You’ll have to let me know how it goes.
Becky Striepe says
That looks so good! Caramelized onions make everything better.
Cadry says
Agreed! They are a big win in a meal.