This is the lentil bake I make when someone’s a bit fed up and needs something deeply savoury and reassuring. The lentils cook down into a soft, almost creamy base while the top turns crisp and nutty, and it tends to improve the mood fairly quickly.
Lentil Bake
Lentils are one of the few things I can cook in a big batch and know there won’t be complaints, especially when they’re baked like this with a proper savoury base and a crunchy topping.
The key here is giving the lentils enough time to absorb the stock before it goes in the oven. That way you end up with a soft, cohesive base rather than something watery and unappetising.
Which Lentils Are The Best?
Red lentils, yellow lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, beluga lentils and speckled lentils all make regular appearances in my kitchen but here I turned to my old favourite, the puy lentil.
You could use any of the other lentil varieties but steer clear of red and yellow lentils if you want a bake with a bit of bite.
Adjust the cooking time according to packet instructions but, as a general rule, green and brown lentils take a little longer to cook.
Do Lentils Need Soaking?
Unlike most other pulses lentils don’t need soaking before cooking.
You can soak them if you wish and it will reduce their cooking time by half but they don’t take very long to cook without this extra step. I can honestly say that I have never soaked a lentil!
Just rinse them under the tap and you’re good to go.
Winter Vegetables For A Lentil Bake
I used onions, carrots, celeriac and potatoes for the vegetable base of my bake but feel free to swap them out for anything you have to hand. Here are a few suggestions for alternatives:
- Leeks make a fabulous alternative to onions, cook them gently to avoid browning.
- Try swede, turnips or parsnips instead of (or as well as) carrots and potatoes.
- Add some greens! Chard, kale, cabbage or sprouts are delicious. Add them for the last 5 minutes or so of cooking on the hob.
Making A Nut Crumble Topping
I love a nut crumble topping on vegetable bakes, it adds a really good crunch.
I used a combination of almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts along with breadcrumbs, herbs and seasonings and it was absolutely delicious.
The nuts are pulsed together in a food processor to keep them fairly chunky.
If you don’t have a processor pop them into a plastic bag, tie the top and bash them a bit with a rolling pin.
What To Serve With Lentil Bake
To be honest, I’m quite happy with a bowl of this on its own.
If you do want something alongside it, go for contrast, something fresh or sharp works well against the soft, savoury bake. A crisp salad or some simply steamed greens with a squeeze of lemon does the job nicely.
More Lentil Recipes
If you love lentils as much as we do you might also like:
- Easy Lentil Meatballs with Fresh Tomato Sauce – another family favourite and very freezer friendly.
- Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup – perfect in a flask for a brisk Sunday walk.
- Classic Lentil Loaf – an easy dinner centrepiece just as at home in a lunchbox.
Lentil Bake with Nut Crumble Topping
Ingredients
For The Lentil Bake
- 100 g puy lentils
- 1 large onion peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 100 g celeriac peeled and chopped into chunks
- 1 large waxy potato peeled and chopped into chunks
- 1 clove garlic (more to taste) peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp fresh thyme finely chopped
- 400 g can of chopped tomatoes
- 400 ml rich vegetable stock made with 1 tsp Vecon and 1 tsp Marmite
- salt and pepper to taste
For The Nut Crumble Topping
- 50 g almonds
- 50 g brazil nuts
- 50 g walnuts
- 50 g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp mixed dried herbs
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 25 g sunflower seeds
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F
- Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add the carrots, celeriac and potato and fry gently for a further 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and thyme and fry gently for a minute until aromatic.
- Add the lentils, tinned tomatoes and stock.
- Fill the tomato can with water to collect all the leftover juice and add to the pan.
- Bring to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes with the lid on.
- Remove the lid and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, the lentils are cooked and the liquid has nearly all evaporated off.
- Pulse nuts together in a food processor until roughly chopped. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add breadcrumbs, herbs, paprika, sunflower seeds and salt and pepper to taste to the nuts. Stir to combine.
- Transfer the lentil mixture to a large oven proof dish. Top with the nut crumble and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You could use any of the other lentil varieties but steer clear of red and yellow lentils if you want a bake with a bit of bite. Check packet instructions for cooking times.
- Choose a waxy potato variety which will stand up to being cooked for half an hour without dissolving.
- Nutritional information is only an approximate guideline. Calculations will vary according to the ingredients you use and your cooking methods.
Made this last week and it was really tasty.
I used the left over celeriac up by making the celeriac and apple soup which was also yummy.
Fabulous! That reminds me, I have half a celeriac in the fridge – soup for lunch!