Lentils with Spinach & Quinoa
You do not want to mix old lentils with new lentils. The older lentils are, the longer they take to cook. Lentils will cook unevenly if you mix old and new lentils.
INGREDIENTS | YIELDS 2 cups
- 1 cup of lentils
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 3 cups fresh spinach
Pick over lentils and remove any debris. Set aside.
Add quinoa and water in a microwaveable glass bowl. Cover and heat on high for 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and stir. Heat again for 2 minutes, stir, and let stand for 1 minute.
In a medium pan, sauté garlic and oil until clear over low heat.
Add lentils to pan, cover with vegetable broth, increase heat to medium– high and bring to a boil for 2–3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the lentils are tender.
When lentils are tender, add spinach to broth. Allow spinach to soften to desired consistency.
Drain lentils and spinach. Combine quinoa with the lentil and spinach mixture. Serve.
Lentil Cooking Tips
Wait! Do not add salt to the water in cooking your lentils as these might toughen the beans. Want another tip? Wait to add any acidic items to lentils until late in the cooking process as acidic foods make lentils take longer to cook.
