Lentils Cacciatore

By Ali Slagle

Updated April 2, 2020

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(3,365)
Comments
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Chicken cacciatore is an Italian hunter’s stew that’s made by braising chicken with tomato, aromatics and vegetables, like red peppers, onions, carrots, rosemary, olives and so on. This braise’s cozy, deep flavors are equally tasty with red lentils in place of the poultry. In less than half an hour, red lentils break down to create a creamy, rich vegetarian stew. Carrots and red peppers make it a hearty meal, but you could also eat it over pasta, polenta or farro. If serving with pasta, thin the cacciatore with a little pasta water before tossing with the noodles.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch pieces

  • 1 red bell pepper, stems and seeds removed, thinly sliced lengthwise

  • Kosher salt and black pepper

  • ¼ cup capers, drained

  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 1 ½ teaspoons fresh rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary

  • ½ cup red wine or stock (or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar)

  • 1 (14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes

  • ¾ cup red lentils (see Tip)

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

25 grams carbs; 180 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 407 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 5 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

  1. Step 1

    In a large Dutch oven or pot, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the carrots and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper, and cook until just softened, 3 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the capers, tomato paste, garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste begins to stick to the bottom of the pot, 2 to 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the wine, season with salt and pepper, and cook until nearly all the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Add the tomatoes, red lentils and 2 ½ cups water. Bring to a boil, partly cover, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils start to break down and lose their shape, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir vigorously from time to time to scrape any stuck lentils from the bottom of the pot. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Tip

  • You could also use canned white beans, or dried brown lentils, which won’t break down as much as red lentils. 

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,365 user ratings
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Comments

SusanY

This looks like the perfect use of the carrots and red pepper that have been self-isolating in my vegetable drawer.

Jack

Made for lunch today, and was quite good. The bell peppers softened up and got deliciously sweet. Depending on the brand of your tomatoes, plan to add somewhere from a moderate to generous amount of salt. I aimed for slightly undersalted, so people could adjust with Maldon salt when served. Used as a topper for rosemary-parmesan polenta and everyone ate seconds.

Meryl Soto-Schwartz

I happened to have all the ingredients for this! Just before serving I added the baby baby spinach that wasn’t going to last another day. It added color as well as nutrition. Served over faro. Picky spouse approved. A delicious recipe for during and after lockdown.

Aidan

Great vegan stew — doubled the recipe in order to serve for 4 people, which takes longer but definitely worth it (about 2 servings leftover). Added a whole onion thinly sliced with peppers and carrots. Used Merlot for wine and subbed the water with veggie broth. Used red lentils (I’ve also used green but I like the red for the creaminess). Super flavorful and tastes like traditional cacciatore

JMS

I made this for dinner last night, omitting the capers, and we thought it was delicious. So easy, too. I had some red wine leftovers in the freezer and this was a perfect use for it.

John

Be careful with adding any salt. I followed the recipe with one exception: for the water I put in two-thirds vegetable broth. With that and the capers it has plenty of salt and I didn't add any. Two thumbs up for thi

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