French Lentils with Chard
Updated October 27, 2021
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 1 hour 10 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 pound lentils, preferably imported green lentils, washed and picked over 2 ¼ cups
A bouquet garni made with 2 bay leaves, a Parmesan rind and a sprig or two each of thyme and parsley
Salt
freshly ground pepper
1 bunch Swiss chard (¾ to 1 pound), stemmed, washed and coarsely chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan, crumbled goat cheese or feta for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)
56 grams carbs; 4 milligrams cholesterol; 344 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 10 grams fiber; 469 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the carrot and celery and cook, stirring, until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the lentils, 2 quarts water and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 40 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bouquet garni.
- Step 2
Stir the chard into the simmering lentils. Cook another 10 minutes or so, until the lentils and greens are tender. The chard should be tender but still bright. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve, passing the cheese at the table for sprinkling. Alternatively, transfer to an oiled baking dish, top with rounds of goat cheese, crumbled feta or grated Parmesan, and heat through in a medium oven.
Advance preparation: You can cook the lentils through Step 1 and keep in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. Bring back to a simmer and proceed with the recipe. The finished dish will keep for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator, but the color of the chard will fade.
Private Notes
Comments
Add a couple generous tablespoons of red wine vinegar at the end of cooking. Add it gradually, tasting as you go. Suddenly lentil soup tastes incredible! It's umami or something, I guess. The flavor is addictive. From the "Greens" cookbook.
It really bothers me when people remove a key ingredient in the posted recipe (in this case, chard) and feel that their adaptation merits being shared with others.
I add 2 tbsp tomato paste, cup of fresh chopped mushrooms, When lentils are almost done, I add parboiled chopped carrots to retain their color & firmness. I omit chard, and serve over fresh spinach leaves in bottom of each bowl. This combo always brings compliments!
Absolutely find and use French lentils — they maintain a nice bite, the others go too soft. A splash of fish sauce really amps umami, for the pescatarians out there. And a splash of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar also amps the flavor. My only quibble is the pre-recipe comment that this dish can be made for $4. lol! A bunch of Swiss chard alone is almost $4 in 2026!
In spite of following the recipe closely, I did not find it very tasty. I wanted to keep it vegan, but next time I’ll add a little red wine and some bacon, as we do in France, to help with flavor. That said, it’s still a hearty stew, and my family and I welcomed the ready-to-eat meal for a couple of evenings.
Completely tasteless, even with a generous 2 teaspoons of salt and 2 tbs white wine vinegar. You'll need bouillon for any flavor.