Braised Leeks and Lentils with Arugula and Yogurt

Ingredients

Scaled for your household (4 portions) · original serves 4

• Bundle Leeks1
• Olive oilto taste
• Kosher Saltto taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepperto taste
• Garlic cloves3
  two thinly sliced, one minced
• Dried Lentils De Puy Rinsed1 cup
  rinsed
• Bundle Scallions1
  thinly sliced (white and green parts)
• Lemonto taste
• Vegetable Broth3 cup
• Plain Unsweetened Yogurt1 cup
  unsweetened yogurt
• To 3 Ounces Baby Arugula Leaves Or More2 oz
  or more to taste

Method

1. 1

   At this stage, heat your oven: To 350°F (175°C).

2. 2

   Prepare your leeks: Leeks are notoriously sandy. First, lop off any parts of each leek that are darker than light green. Trim the root ends. Peel back layers of your leek until you no longer have visible dirt that cannot be rinsed. Thoroughly rinse off any remaining dirt or grit. Wipe down your counter; then knife (lots of dirt and grit there), and then slice the white and pale green parts into 1-inch rings.

3. 3

   On the stove: in a roomy (3 to 4 quarts) ovenproof pan with a lid (I’m using this ) — or, if you don’t have one, just use a wide, deep skillet for the stovetop part; then transfer it to a baking dish for the braising part — heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat. stir in leek slices and season lightly with salt and pepper; cook until browned underneath, about 4 to 5 minutes, then flip each leek and cook until browned underneath on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes. scatter pan with sliced garlic, then dried lentils. Gently pour in broth, using it to “rinse” any lentils off the tops of leeks and into the pan so they cook evenly. Scatter with lemon zest and scallions, and season as needed with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and put the lid on pan with a lid. move into the oven.

4. 4

   In the oven: Cook leeks; then lentils together for 40 to 45 minutes, or until leeks are soft and lentils are tender. [Different lentil varieties might need more or less time.] There will be a little liquid broth in the pan.

5. 5

   While the leeks; then lentils cook: In a small bowl, mix together plain yogurt with 1 tablespoon of juice from the lemon, 1 minced or microplaned clove of garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

6. 6

   In a roomy bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons lemon juice with 3 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil; then season with salt and pepper. Toss arugula with dressing; it’s more than it needs and most will land at the bottom of the bowl. Don’t worry, we’ll use it too.

7. 7

   To finish: Take the braised leeks; then lentils out of the oven. You can finish the dish right in your pan — dolloping it with the yogurt sauce and scattering the arugula on top. Pour the remaining dressing over the dish to give the leeks and lentils extra zip. Or, you can arrange this on a plate to your taste — shown here with the yogurt swooshed across the plate, a piece of toasted sourdough, and everything else piled on top.

8. 8

   More things you could stir in/zhuzh this up with: Toasted hazelnuts, thinly sliced fennel, and/or parmesan shaved with a vegetable peeler in the salad. I was tempted to stir in some cumin to the lentils; then yogurt, perhaps some sumac on the salad, but resisted to keep it simple. You could definitely give the lentils some heat with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon mild or regular red pepper flakes with the broth. And this is fantastic with a poached egg on top; it’s been my lunch all week.