Lentils with Harissa and Vegetables

Parsley would work, too, for those cilantro-haters out there.

Thanks to Pinterest, I am finally out of my rut of always going Indian with my lentils. I came across this recipe, which I was excited about because I had a jar of harissa in the fridge. I pretty much followed the recipe except for adding carrots (because I had some). I also thought I was being original by adding cilantro, but now that I look back at the recipe, I see that there's cilantro in her picture too. It must have been in my subconscious.

Perhaps my harissa is spicier than the harissa in the recipe, because if I had added the full amount, it would have caused us physical pain. I ended up with half the amount. (Well, the same amount, but I doubled the rest of the recipe.) It was still very spicy, but perfect over rice with yogurt.

I did not have spinach on hand, but I feel like spinach belongs in this recipe. I will add it next time.

The Recipe:

1 tb olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 c cauliflower, chopped

1 c carrot, chopped

Optional: spinach or other vegetables, chopped

1 c red lentils

1 c crushed tomatoes

4 c vegetable broth

3/4 c harissa

Rice, plain yogurt, and cilantro for serving

Saute onion in olive oil over high heat 3-5 minutes, until softened and slightly browned
Turn heat down to medium and add cauliflower and other vegetables. Saute 5 minutes, until softened.
Add all other ingredients and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour.
Serve over rice, topped with cilantro and plain yogurt.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A-

Overall reason: Easy, healthy, and versatile

Time to prepare: 15 minutes of work and 1 hour of simmering

Husband quote: "Mmm! Something smells GOOD."

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