For the past few days, it has been raining here in Northern California (thankfully). I've been holed up in the house reading and planning out new recipes. (I know–so exciting!) However, a break in the rain happened over the weekend I took the dog for a nice walk only to realize that somewhere in the past couple of weeks, spring had arrived. The trees are in full bloom and the rain makes me long for a calming, spring thunderstorm. While I love the crispness of fall, the feeling of renewal in the spring can't be beat. And with spring, I've been craving lighter and more vegetable-centered meals.
I've mentioned this before, but I love lentils. When you have lentils, you have a meal. I find the earthiness of the French lentils is very much in line with the flavor of the grilled endives but the lightness of the lemon juice and goat cheese helps to keep the meal a bit on the fresher tasting side. Can't find endives? Try grilling some thick slices of cabbage instead.
PrintGrilled Endives with Lentils
Ingredients
- Endives
- 2 endives, sliced lengthwise
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Lentils
- ½ cup French green lentils (Lentilles du Puy)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1-2 ounce crumbled goat cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat grill or grill pan. Brush each endive half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill, turning occasionally, until endive is charred and tender, 8-15 minutes depending on heat source. Remove from grill and place on a plate.
- Place lentils in a small stock pot and add water to cover 1-2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until lentils are just tender, 20-25 minutes, adding more water as needed.
- Drain lentils and place in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and garlic. Pour over lentils and toss until well combined. Serve lentils over grilled endives and sprinkle with goat cheese to serve.
dishing up the dirt says
It's raining cats and dogs here too. This is the perfect meal to warm up with.
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
Such beautiful photographs. I love your plate by the way. We don't really get thunderstorms up here in Alaska. I love going to the states and experiencing them though. Warm rain isn't in our vocabulary up here!
Tereza says
Love endives! Lovely healthy dish!
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Katie @ Whole Nourishment says
Mmm, I can honestly taste these flavor coming together just from reading your post. And I love what you say: "When you have lentils, you have a meal".
Elizabeth says
You completely speak my language with lentils; they are way under-rated and super satisfying! Thanks for another great idea on how to incorporate them into my daily life! (Also, completely jealous that it is spring already there...still waiting patiently here in Michigan!)
cheri says
I make a veggie lentil salad similar to this but never thought to spoon over endive or cabbage, this looks amazing. Your pics are always so nice.
Kurt says
Nice photos! Looks like a yummy dish for me to try on Meatless Monday.
Tess @ Tips on Healthy Living says
This looks delicious! Is this pretty filling on its own-- or would you recommend serving it with a side?
erin says
Hey Tess- Lentils always fill me up so I ate it as a light dinner, but my husband would eat it as a side.
Eileen says
Yes to rain! It's such a relief, isn't it? I hope it keeps on raining for a few weeks at least. Of course, that means it might be tough to break out the grill for these clearly delicious endives, but hey--I bet this would be just as amazing in late spring as early, right?