Since I had time to cook a nice meal over Fall Break, and I had a craving for lentils, I decided a good risotto would do the trick! I found this recipe by Martha Stewart, and simplified the process a bit. It was delicious and we had tons of leftovers! I will be making it again for sure!
Lentil and Swiss Chard Risotto
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients:
1 bay leaf
fresh thyme sprigs
1 cup green lentils
1 large bunch Swiss chard
3 large leeks, white and light-green parts only, cut into small semicircles
4 cups chicken broth (vegetable broth can be used as well)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/4 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped radicchio, for garnish
Directions:
1. In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes. Add lentils, reduce heat to low, and simmer until tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain lentils and discard bay leaf and thyme.
2. Meanwhile, wash the Swiss chard and chop into 2 inch pieces. Discard the larger stems. Cook in a large skillet, tossing constantly, until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
3. In the large skillet, heat olive oil and add leeks, onions, and garlic and cook stirring frequently until softened, about 5 minutes. Add rice and continue stirring until the edges of the rice are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring constantly, until nearly all the wine is absorbed, about 30 seconds.
4. Raise the heat to medium high, add salt and pepper. Gradually add chicken broth until it is all absorbed by the rice, stirring constantly, until rice is creamy, about 15-20 minutes.
5. Turn the heat to low, and stir in the lentils, Swiss chard, and Parmesan. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Divide risotto among serving dishes and serve immediately.
6. We also added an over easy egg on top of our risotto, as per another risotto recipe, and it was delicious! Feel free to enjoy the dish either way!
