This recipe takes your classic French Onion Soup and turns those flavors into a hearty, healthy, meatless one-pot meal. Lentils and Farro pack a huge nutritious punch. Lentils belong in the legume family and are a good source of B vitamins, folate, iron, and potassium. They also contain high levels of protein and fiber. Farro is an ancient grain known for its nutty flavor and unique, chewy texture. Farro also contains fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These grains are combined with caramelized onions, thyme, sherry, stock and baked in the oven for approximately 50 minutes. The last step is covering the dish with gruyere cheese and broil til the cheese is melty and browned. Serve with crusty bread and a side green salad. We love this dish for Sunday cooking, and it easily holds up for the next few days.
French Onion Baked Lentils and Farro
Serves 6 to 8
- 2 pounds yellow onions (4 large or 5 medium), sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup dried lentils, any variety, green or brown
- 6 cups vegetable broth or chicken and a few splashes more, if needed
- 1 1/2 cups dried farro
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups (8 ounces) coarsely grated gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry, vermouth, or white wine (optional)
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Caramelize onions: Heat butter and olive oil in a large deep sauce pan. Add onions and toss to coat them with butter and oil and cover pot. Reduce heat to medium-low and let the onion steep for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and stir the onion and raise heat to medium high. Cook and now stir ever 5 minutes until brown, soft and sweet, about another 20 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Assemble casserole: Add garlic to the onions and stir for about 1 minute. Add sherry (if using) and cook til it evaporates. Add farro and cook for 2 minutes. Add lentils and 6 cups of broth ( I used 5 1/2 cups) and thyme and bring mixture to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. If your pan is not oven proof, transfer to a casserole dish.
Bake casserole: cover the pan and bake, stirring half way through until lentils and farro are tender, 40-50 minutes. If all the broth is absorbed at this point add a splash more. Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Finish: Sprinkle cheese and broil til the cheese is browned.
