Tiny Umbrian lentils recipe sautéed with leeks, celery, carrot, garlic and spices, and topped with balsamic roasted tomatoes, fresh mint and parsley. This is a fantastic vegan dinner.
Jump to Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Jump to:
Looking for ways to use lentils? I love them, and lentils are so easy to cook up. I use them in this Instant Pot Curried Lentil Soup, Asparagus Salad with Potatoes and Lentils in a Lemon Vinaigrette and Lentil Bolognese (Vegan). For a quick meal, I toss them with roasted potatoes with my balsamic tomatoes on the side.
This recipe uses Umbian lentils, which might be new to you. If you can't find them, no worries. Just swap in brown lentils.
🤷♀️ What are Umbrian lentils?
Umbrian lentils are from a particular valley in Italy called Castelluccio where they are a part of a three year crop rotation along with wheat and pasture. They have been grown there for centuries and are cultivated mostly by hand.
They're tiny, closer in size to red lentils, and cook up in about 20 - 30 minutes. They have a rich, nutty taste, and are great for salads and sautés because they're creamy, but hold their shape very well.
Can't fine them? You can order them online or substitute brown lentils.
🤷♀️ What is ras el hanout?
The other ingredient in this recipe you might be unfamiliar with is ras el hanout.
Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice that is a vibrant, earthy spice mix that can include cinnamon, cardamom, mace, turmeric, Aleppo pepper, cumin, coriander, allspice, black pepper, and ginger. Every region has its own version, and is further specialized down to every home, but it's a mix that has the power to elevate a dish into something truly special with very little effort.
I add it to many rice dishes, cauliflower and my husband's meats.
If you can't find it at your market, you can substitute allspice. Allspice is almost always in ras el hanout, but when unblended with other spices can be overpowering. If you use allspice in place of ras el hanout, cut the amount called for in half.
Can you make ras el hanout at home? Absolutely, but to get an authentic, well-balanced flavor, most good recipes have as many as 15 ingredients. Or more! I find it easier to purchase it.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. Shortcut store-bought options and ingredients you can make ahead and save in the refrigerator can turn a dish that takes 60 (or more) minutes to make into a 30 minute meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes - these add an incredible oomph of umami flavor to any dish, and are worth having around in the refrigerator to add to soooo many dishes. Here's how to make these balsamic tomatoes.
- Vegetable broth - I use Better Than Bouillon - Roasted Vegetable Paste.
- Umbrian lentils - order them online if you can't fine them, or substitute brown lentils. See the above section for more information on these special lentils.
- Carrots
- Leeks
- Celery
- Ras el hanout - order online if your market doesn't carry this spice. Or substitute allspice, but only ½ of the amount called for. See the above section for more information on this spice mix.
- Garlic
- Parsley
- Mint
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
- Sheet pan - for roasting the tomatoes
- Parchment paper - for roasting the tomatoes
- Medium sized pot - for the lentils
- Chef's knife
- Large skillet
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this Umbrian lentils recipe are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Make the balsamic tomatoes. If you don't already have them on-hand, start the balsamic tomatoes. They only take 5 minutes (or less) of prep. They roast while you do everything else. When done, coarse chop or leave whole. It's up to you.
Step 2
Cook the lentils. Place the lentils in a medium pot with broth or water, and cook them. Drain and set aside.
Step 3
Sauté. Cook all the veggies in a large skillet with the ras-el-hanout until softened. Add the cooked lentils.
Step 4
Serve. Transfer the veggies and lentils to a serving platter, and top with the balsamic tomatoes. Finish with a flurry of coarsely chopped mint and parsley leaves.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Make the balsamic tomatoe ahead of time, and store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
- Purchase pre-cooked lentils. Many markets now carry them in the same section with other pre-cooked beans.
- Nix the veggies, and make rice instead, seasoned with ras-el-hanout (see below Variations section).
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
Swap out the veggies that the lentils are toss with for rice. Season the rice with ras-el-hanout.
If you have garam masala on hand, you can substitute that for the ras-el-hanout, although it has a completely different flavor. This will take this dish from a Moroccan dish to one from India.
🥩 For the Meat Eaters at the Table
Add lamb or pork sausage to the veggies (or rice), or serve along side this dish. Slice the sausages into ¼-inch coins, and brown them over medium-high heat in 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Umbrian Lentils with Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
- 3 Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes chopped
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup Umbrian lentils
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup finely chopped carrots
- 1 ½ cup thinly sliced leeks white and light green parts (sliced horizontally)
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ¾ teaspoon ras el-hanout spice optional
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint packed
Instructions
- Make the balsamic roasted tomatoes. Coarsely chop.
- While the tomatoes roast, bring the broth to a simmer and add the lentils. Cover and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, until tender. Drain of any excess liquid.
- Warm up the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the carrots, garlic, leeks, celery, ras el-hanout, salt and pepper. Sauté until the carrots are just soft (about 20 minutes). Add the garlic and sauté another 2 minutes.
- Add the lentils to the vegetables and sauté another 5 minutes to allow the lentils to absorb the flavors.
- Spoon the lentils/vegetable mixture onto a serving platter and top with the roasted tomatoes.
- Mix the parsley and mint together and sprinkle on top.
lizthechef
Love these little guys - are they smaller than the green French ones? Making plans for your roasted tomatoes...
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Proof that we can love anything small, even legumes :-). They're slightly bigger than the green French ones, but not by much. Hope you enjoy the roasted tomatoes too! I'm posting another recipe with roasted tomatoes in the next couple of days 🙂
Rodger Helwig
Susan-
What is ras el-hanout spice? Can one make it?
Rodger
Rodger Helwig
Ah, Susan, I just read your note about ras el-hanout in the
intro. Think I'll search for a recipe to whip up.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad you mentioned this Scorp! I just added a link to a recipe I found that I like. Not all of them use cardamom (although most do), and I'm a huge fan of cardamom. I also added a version for carnivores too, although I know you're eating less and less meat too these days my friend!
apuginthekitchen
This is fantastic, have never tried Umbrian Lentils now I think I have to. I have to make some ras el-hanout.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Suzanne! Thanks to my friend Rodger's comment above, I've added a link to the post for a recipe for ras el-hanout that looks interesting to me. For me, it's not ras el-hanout without cardamom, and not all recipes include that spice. I buy mine in those little boxes so that I don't get a lot at one time.
apuginthekitchen
Thanks Susan, have never made it before. I will give it a try. Where do you get the little packets?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
At our Whole Foods, and Raley's stores, they sell small boxes of spices so you can get small quantities of spices you don't use as much. They have something like 100 different spices that way. Have you seen them in your spice section of the store?
apuginthekitchen
I haven't but whole foods is not in my neighborhood yet. I have to take the train into Manhattan and cart groceries back by subway which is not great so I don't really go to whole foods that often. I will however make a trip there to a box of spice won't be hard to carry, LOL! I also may try sahadi's they are wonderful and have a huge assortment of middle eastern spices. Thanks
CCU
I didn't know lentils could look so utterly gorgeous 😀
Cheers
CCU
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It's true, isn't it. They're just so cute when they're so small 🙂
TasteFood
This is a great way to serve lentils. I love them and always resort to soup. No more!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Lynda! I love them in salads, but not unless they hold their shape well. It's one of the reasons I just love these Umbrian ones.
Christy@SweetandSavoring
This seems like such an amazing party/special occasion dish. I can tell it'll be so flavorful and filling!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Christy! I really appreciate it 🙂
Kathy
Look at all those yummy ingredients!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Kathy!
Debra
This looks delicious but thank you for including a variation for the omnivores! 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm definitely trying to do that now. After all I'm really cooking for both at our house now 🙂
Simona
We are on the same wavelength, Susan: I will soon post a recipe that includes lentils from my home region. This is an old one: http://briciole.typepad.com/blog/2009/03/lenticchie-di-castelluccio.html
There is a bit more to them, but for now I am happy people are starting to know and appreciate them. Next time we have coffee, we'll talk about lentils and other legumes from Umbria.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
You're on, Simona! I would love to have that conversation. Umbrian lentils are completely new to me, and I love them. I'll be on the lookout for your new post, and I'll go check out your older one right now.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Oh I'll bet your stash is wonderful ! One of the many reasons I want to travel to Morocco is the food. Love, love, love their spices and food.
Rosie O'Hare
Hello,
Your recipe is from ages ago but I have just found it. In step three, when you add the lentils to the sauteed veggies, do you add the broth as well? Or drain the lentils?
Many thanks.
Rosie