This green lentil bowl starts with lentils cooked with a bay leaf until tender, and is finished with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Chewy farro, also finished with lemon, form the base of this bowl along with the lentils. Hearty button and shitake mushrooms are sauteed along with thyme and a bit of sherry, then layered over the grains and lentils. Finally, spinach is wilted along with garlic and shallots. These healthy greens finish off the bowl.
In my quest to cook with more beans, I’ve been neglecting my whole grains. And what with it being so freakin’ cold, I’ve been going heavy on the comfort (read: not super healthy) food. (I’ve also been a bit obsessed with cooking macarons, which are loaded with sugar and not healthy either.) I’ve been craving greens, so a nice bowl loaded with whole grains, vegetables, and greens seems to be just what the doctor ordered.
Farro is an awesome grain. It’s nutty, chewy, and hearty It’s a great alternative to rice and pairs wonderfully with mushrooms, so that seemed like an obvious pairing. Farro is a Mediterranean grain, which inspired me to to add lemon to the mix.
Thyme is the perfect herb to tie the mushrooms and lemon together - it goes beautifully with both. Lentils are also a Mediterranean staple and allow the mushrooms to shine. Shiitake mushrooms are amazing, but also a bit pricey. Mixing them in with classic button mushrooms gives that meaty flavor while the button mushrooms provide rich bulk.
This requires the orchestration of a few pans on the stove at once, but two of them are just simmering the farro and mushrooms so it’s actually pretty easy and quick to put together. This green lentil bowl has whole grains, beans, vegetables, and greens so you can feel good about eating it, and you’ll feel satisfied and full too.
Hope you enjoy this healthy bowl!
Servings: 4
Time: 45 minutes
This is a bowl, so you won't need anything else. Just layer and serve!
This will actually freeze just fine, so feel free to make up some extra bowls in containers and throw them in the freezer.
Are you feeling like eating healthier? Do you make a lot of bowls? Let me know in the comments!