Photo via Getty Images
LENTIL BASICS
Buying: Lentils are an easy purchase: Head to the bean aisle of the grocery store and grab the color of your choice, in hues ranging from dusky yellow to tangerine to shiny black.
Cooking: Yellow and red varieties are well-suited for soups and stews; after a gentle simmer, they adopt a velvety texture. Green and black lentils stand up handily in batched salads.
LENTIL LOWDOWN
With a mild nuttiness and a slight whiff of peppery spice, the humble lentil has been eaten and enjoyed since the beginning of recorded history. Try stocking up in bulk — dried lentils stay good for years — and remember to sort before cooking to avoid any errant pebbles.
AROUND RVA
Harrison Street Cafe: The red lentil burger is more than a veggie burger — it’s a protein-packed happy patty on a toasted kaiser bun.
Ellwood Thompson’s: Available in salted, harissa lime or chocolate drizzle, Pro-Chi Lentil Crunch, a locally made flavored topping, upgrades anything from salads to sundaes.
Proper Pie Co.: Discover the savory vegan pie of your dreams with curry-scented lentils that spill like gold from a flaky pastry treasure chest in the curried lentil and spinach pie.
Stella Dikos, namesake of Stella's restaurants and markets, grew up with very little in Greece, and lentils and beans were a staple in her family home.
Photo by Kate Thompson
COOK LIKE A LOCAL
Lentil Soup
By Stella Dikos of Stella's restaurants and markets
Stella Dikos, an area chef for over 50 years, is known for, among other things, her nourishing, hearty soups. Her lentil soup, with a rich tomato broth and hints of bay leaf, is a regular feature available by the quart at Stella’s Grocery. Although Dikos, an intuitive cook, rarely writes down her recipes, she’s shared how to make this deceptively simple soup.
1 cup olive oil
1 (12-ounce) bag of lentils
3 small sweet onions, chopped
10 bay leaves
3 cups tomato sauce
Salt and pepper
Rinse lentils. Add them to a stock pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, then drain. Return lentils to the pot, cover with warm water, then add onions, bay leaves and oil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender and no longer crunchy. Add tomato sauce, salt and pepper, then simmer until thick. Remove bay leaves and serve.
