Savory Lentils from Panama

4.00 (3)
⏱ 75 mins 🍽 6 serving(s) 🏷 Lentil

This Panamanian lentil dish is a beloved comfort food, celebrated for its wholesome and delicious qualities. The recipe involves simmering lentils gently with aromatic vegetables to achieve a soft texture, before finishing with a rich, savoury broth. It's a straightforward, satisfying meal that serves six people and requires about 75 minutes to prepare from start to finish.

Savory Lentils from Panama

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dried lentils
  • 1 teaspoon butter or 1 teaspoon oil
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 red peppers or 1 green pepper, diced (I do a combo)
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic or 3/4 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 beef bouillon cubes or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
  • salt & pepper

Method

  1. Rinse the dried lentils well under cold water.
  2. Place the lentils into a saucepan, cover them with 4 cups of water, and stir in the butter or oil.
  3. Put the lid on the pan and allow the contents to come to a gentle simmer.
  4. This gradual heating process helps to keep the lentils from breaking apart.
  5. When a low boil is reached, you can slightly tilt the lid to let steam escape and avoid boiling over.
  6. Stir in the diced onion, peppers, and garlic, then continue to simmer the mixture for about 45 mins until the lentils become tender.
  7. Position a strainer over a measuring cup and pour the lentils in to drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
  8. Discard all but 1 cup of the saved liquid, pouring the retained cup back into the pan with the bouillon cubes and stirring until they dissolve.
  9. Add the drained lentils back to the pan and cook for 15 mins more, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium214400 mg

Recipe details

CategoryLentil
Authorblisstir