Lentils Cacciatore Recipe (2024)

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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.

Josh

Really nice rich vegan friendly stew. I topped with some chopped fresh parsley and vegan Parmesan and served with a hunk of lightly toasted homemade sourdough.

Tsippi

@mz: You can make tomato paste, if you'd like. Put tomato sauce in a microwave safe dish, like a Pyrex measuring cup. Cover it loosely with a paper towel, and microwave on high in 30-45 second increments, stirring after each period. You'll have paste in no time! I find one cup sauce gives me 1/3 cup paste, but mileage varies by brand of sauce.

Christa

Made with red lentils, fresh rosemary, diced tomatoes, and sherry vinegar, and left the bell pepper out since I didn't have one, and they're out of season. Ate on its own. Smelled wonderful while it was cooking and tasted just as good. I love Ali Slagle's recipes and always look forward to them.

SRB

I didn't have carrots, so I used cubed sweet potato instead. Tasted wonderful still!

Carol

Followed directions, except used a roasted red pepper from a jar which I added with the garlic to sauté a bit before adding rest of ingredients in Step 2. Served over whole wheat pasta with peas on top. Excellent.

Rahel

Easy and tasty but I would reduce the capers (they completely dominated the flavor), up the bell pepper, cook it longer to bring out its sweetness, and cook the garlic for a little while before adding tomato paste so that it can soften (otherwise you'll bit on half raw garlic slices). A little thyme didn't hurt the overall flavor.

biba

add a bay leaf!!!

Kaitlin Mahar

Made this for dinner tonight. Didn’t have wine on hand so we used vegetable broth. Used a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes which added some nice flavor. We also like some heat, so we put in red pepper flakes at the end. Great quick recipe, we’ll definitely make it again.

Bonnie

Enjoyed this dish and it was quite simple. I used fresh tomatoes instead of canned since we had them in the house and skipped the capers. I also used red wine vinegar since I didn't have an open bottle of red wine. The family approved! Good, hearty vegetarian dinner, the Times has some great red lentil recipes. The spicy red lentil soup is excellent too. I don't know what it is with red lentils but they go quite well with tomato.

Julia

In this coronavirus world we're living in presently, being adaptable is the key. Red, green, brown, yellow, orange... It all works just fine.

Jonathan

This tastes delicious as I’m cooking it but the lentils are no where near to being done at 35 minutes. Am I alone here?

Smallwood

I made the dish per the recipe except I used chickpeas. I cooked the dried chickpeas, with a few cloves of garlic, a carrot cut in four pieces and one stalk of fresh rosemary, for 90 minutes until soft. I used 2 cups of the chickpeas and a little less that two cups of the cooking liquid. Served it with egg tagliatelle noodles and it was terrific. A bit more substantial than the red lentils - very satisfying and the tastes in the recipe works very well with the chickpeas as prepared.

Elle Kaye

Made almost as written. Cooked carrots long enough to caramelize. Reduced capers to1.5 Tbsp. & cooked garlic to soften per Rahel's note. Used 1.25 cans diced tomatoes because I had some left over. 2 Tbsp. red wine with 2Tbsp. red wine vinegar. Served with plain canned hominy, used canning liquid as part of stock. Extra salt, also another dash of vinegar (or try squeeze of lemon?) at end of cooking. Yes, 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika!Plan to top leftover with steamed bok choy. It's a keeper!

Sara

Love this - add chopped onion with the carrot and red pepper and oregano with the rosemary. Also needed additional time to cook the lentils in Denver at higher altitude.

David F.

The lentils make this delightfully thicker than a chicken cacciatore, which always feels a little too watery to me. I added a small bulb of fennel chopped into the same size pieces as the carrot because I love the earthy sweetness that fennel imparts. With all those carrots and tomatoes (and the added fennel) this is quite naturally sweet with a luscious umami feel from the tomato paste and the lentils. Will make this again and again.

a orr

Doubles well

Josh

This was so good.

MTH

This needed a little "heat"- so added red pepper flakes. Very good- will make this again.

Anne

Loved this soup! Added sliced fresh crimini mushrooms and fresh parsley. Used the large can of tomatoes, an extra carrot, more lentils and rosemary. So simple and yet so robust in flavor. Had w fresh sourdough bread, a lemony radicchio and green salad and a nero d’avola. A perfect antidote to a cold winter night.

Jill

I used brown lentils instead of red lentils. This was tasty but took a lot longer for the lentils to cook and required adding chicken broth and water toward the end because it was too thick.

Kel B

This was good. With only two of us at home, we now have half for the freezer. One serving was plenty filling with a salad. I did find it surprisingly in the sweet side.

Annalise

Made this last night when I had a vegan friend visiting… omg it was so amazing! I can’t stop thinking about it and am telling all my friends to make it too. Do yourself a favour and make this tonight

Kathyd

I’ve made this many times just as written but it’s a great base recipe for additions. I’ve added cod, shrimp, mussels, sausage, and more vegetables like spinach or swiss chard, mushrooms, just about anything and it tastes great.

tikcuf

this seems like a tasty vegan dish. the literal translation from the italian of "cacciatore" is hunter. it seems a stretch to call this dish a cacciatore since there is no textural protein element to replace the chicken in the original dish.

Matt G

I've made this a few times before, and have often found it to be tasty but a little flat.2 tips:1) This tastes better the next day, I recommend making it a day ahead. The flavors meld better2) I added 1-2 TBS of calabrian chile paste - it really woke this up. I think some spicy kick is necessary to round it out

Sandy

I made this more-or-less according to the recipe (I rarely measure ingredients carefully) and was very pleased with the result.One change I made is that I had 3 zucchini waiting to be cooked, so I added them. I'll definitely make this again.

megstaloff

This is in regular rotation in my house— where chicken cacciatore is a sacred family dish… except now we have a vegetarian teen. This is an uncannily delicious substitute (with the caveat that we have always forgone capers so technically are not making it as written… but capers were never in our family chicken recipe, either).

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Lentils Cacciatore Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Which lentils taste the best? ›

Black Beluga lentils have the most flavor, adding a rich, earthy taste and a firm texture that holds up well during cooking. Black lentils will be ready in 20–25 minutes; however, they will fall apart like their brown, green, and red partners once you cook them for too long.

Do you have to soak red split lentils before cooking? ›

Do red lentils need to be soaked before cooking? No, there is no need to soak red lentils before cooking but it is a good idea to give them a quick rinse.

Do lentils thicken sauce? ›

You'll want to use red lentils for this recipe because they break down quickly, helping the sauce thicken up and get extra rich. They'll retain just enough texture to feel “meaty,” without looking like lentils.

Should I cook lentils before adding to soup? ›

Do you cook lentils before adding to soup? Nope! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there's no need to soak them either!

Which color lentil is healthiest? ›

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

Which lentil is healthiest? ›

Urad dal or black lentil is one of the most nutritious pulses known to mankind. Low in fat and calories, Urad dal helps to improve digestion. With it being a rich source of protein and vitamin B3, it makes our bones stronger and is said to boost energy levels, enhance heart health and strengthen our nervous system.

What happens if you don't wash lentils before cooking? ›

Rinsing lentils will allow you to get rid of any accumulated dust, dirt, small rocks, twigs and possibly bugs that have come along for the ride: you don't want any of that in your food! None of this will hurt you however.

What happens if you don't pre soak lentils? ›

Soaking: Unlike beans, lentils are small and cook relatively quick (in general, about 20-30 minutes) so they don't require pre-soaking. However, soaking lentils for a few hours or overnight may improve the digestibility of starches in lentils and an overnight soak can also reduce cooking time by about half.

Do you simmer lentils covered or uncovered? ›

Cook your lentils uncovered on low heat for 20-45 minutes (based on the variety) to plump them up while avoiding split skins and mushy results. Add more liquid as needed until the lentils are done. A good ratio to start with is 1 cup of lentils to 2½ cups of liquid.

What gives lentils flavor? ›

Adding half an onion (peeled), a few cloves of crushed garlic, a bundle of herbs, or a bay leaf to the cooking liquid and a pinch of salt gives lentils plenty of flavor, especially when they're the base for a salad or side dish.

Should I cook lentils before adding to sauce? ›

There's no need to cook lentils before adding them to a curry that will be cooked for at least half an hour that has enough liquid for the lentils to absorb. This will also give the lentils more flavor than cooking in water separately.

Why does my lentil soup taste bland? ›

Why does my lentil soup taste bland? Lentils have a relatively mild taste and take well to seasonings. To avoid a bland lentil soup, use a flavorful broth—whether that's homemade or store-bought chicken or vegetable broth. The other key is building flavor.

Why won't my lentils soften in soup? ›

Editor: First, I wonder how old your lentils are. If they're more than a year or two old, they will often stay crunchy in the middle no matter how long you cook them! Another trick is to wait to add salt or acidic ingredients until near the end of cooking. Take a look at our post on cooking lentils for some more help!

Which color lentils are best for soup? ›

Red lentils are the fastest cooking and they dissolve as they cook and make for a smooth soup. Others, such as green and brown lentils, hold their shape and make a soup with more texture.

Is there a flavor difference in lentils? ›

Exploring Different Types of Lentils:

Brown/ Green Lentils: The most common variety, brown lentils have an earthy flavor and hold their shape well when cooked. They are a versatile option for soups, stews, and side dishes. Red Lentils: With a sweet and nutty flavor, red lentils cook quickly and become soft and creamy.

Do different lentils taste different? ›

The different types of lentils

All of the colors have approximately the same nutritional value with some slight variation in protein content. However, different colors tend to have different flavors, take on different textures as they cook and they all have slightly different cooking times.

Which is better, brown or green lentils? ›

Experts consider green lentils healthier than the other varieties. One-half cup of cooked lentils has: Calories: 140. Fat: 0.5 grams.

Which is better for you, red or green lentils? ›

In short, the nutritional difference between red lentils vs green lentils is minimal. They each contain a similar amount of calories, carbs, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. The biggest difference between the two is their taste and texture, with the red variety having a mushier consistency and sweeter taste.

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