My favorite recipes are rooted in something familiar but include a twist to make it more unique and fun. Pilafs are usually grain-based but this lentil pilaf highlights one of my favorite legumes: black lentils. Paired with roasted romanesco, a spice-laden dressing, and dates, the pilaf is unique, beautiful, and tastes amazing. One word of advice: don't try to swap red lentils for black! French, green, or brown are all better alternatives!
Vegan Thanksgiving Menu
It can be really hard to work within everyone's dietary needs during the holidays. My favorite way to tackle the puzzle is to find the what everyone can eat. That's is why I love this vegan thanksgiving feast. It's flavorful, full of wonderful fall vegetables, and happens to be gluten-free too. A perfect way to feed your guests a healthy and filling meal. The full meal includes:
Red Kuri Squash Curry with Chard
Shaved Parsnip Salad
Lentil Pilaf with Romanesco
Wine Pairing: 2013 Benziger North Coast Sauvignon Blanc: Bright citrus notes finish with soft apricot, complementing the earthy lentil pilaf and crisp roasted romanesco.
Romanesco Black Lentil Pilaf
This lentil pilaf is an easy, flavorful side dish to any holiday meal and can work well with other brassicas if you cannot find romanesco.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 side servings 1x
- Category: Salad
Ingredients
Romanesco
- 1 head romanesco (about 1pound)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Lentils
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ cup black lentils
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup broth
- ½ cup water
Pilaf
- ½ cup medjool dates (minced (roughly 4 to 5 pitted))
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- Juice of ½ lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Trim end and core from romanesco. Chop into 1 to 1 ½ inch pieces. Transfer to baking tray and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper until well coated. Roast in the oven for 25 minutes or until slightly brown.
- In a small pot, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and let cook until fragrant. Add in cumin, coriander, and salt. Stir well and add in black lentils, continuing to stir until the lentils are well coated with spice. Pour in broth and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Let cook until lentils are soft but retain their shape, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
- When romanesco is cooked and slightly cooled, transfer to a food processor. Pulse until romanesco pieces are about the same size as the lentils, about 3 to 4 pulses.
- In a large bowl, combine lentils, romanesco, dates, almonds, and lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.
Notes
Tips & Tricks: I usually cover the lentils for part of the time, but uncover them part way through to let them finish cooking.
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: black lentils, olive oil, vegetable broth
Nutrition
- Calories: 315
- Sugar: 23
- Sodium: 226
- Fat: 11.8
- Carbohydrates: 43
- Protein: 13.6
- Cholesterol: 43
Lentil Pilaf
variations
I'm hesitant to give too many variations because this lentil pilaf recipe, as made above, hits beyond expectation. It's filling, has the right balance of flavor, and can work well outside of a holiday meal (think awesome work lunch). However, a few small changes you could make:
Dried Fruit: Golden raisins can easily be swapped for the dates. They’ll have the same sweetness but add a bit of flavor.
Nuts: Try this pilaf with cashew pieces instead of almonds.
Cauliflower: If you can’t find romanesco, roasted cauliflower would also be delicious. Any color would do!
Explore Lentils
Lentils are a must in my pantry. I keep red lentils on hand for quick soups, stews, and creamy meals while I have brown lentils on hand to make my favorite lentil bites. Black and French lentils tend to rotate but both hold up well in salads, tacos, enchiladas, and most places you might use chickpeas. A few of my favorite lentil recipes include:
Red Lentil Masala with Spinach
Spicy Lentil Tacos with Radish Salsa
Harissa Lentils and Cauliflower
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
O I love romanesco! I feel like it has a subtle sweet taste! So good!
Mandy says
I couldn't find black lentils at my market in the bulk section. However, I did find them in a can. Since they are already cooked, do I still use the same amount of liquid when cooking them? I don't want them to turn into a pile of mush. Any suggestions?
erin says
I've honestly never used canned lentils. However, if they are already cooked, I wouldn't cook them again. My suggestion would be to cook the garlic in a little olive oil then add the spices and lentils, just to warm- no extra liquid!
Susan says
This pilaf sounds absolutely spectacular. I would probably try the golden raisins in place of dates - they are easier and I like them better. I wish we could get Romanesco here, but I'm guessing that green cauliflower would end up similar. It least it would give a similar look.
Luiza Kensell says
This recipe is just amazing. I tried it today for me and some of my friends. We loved it! it's very easy to make, very healthy and very tasty. I never tried lentils since today, to be honest, but they taste good. One more thing: I used this pilaf recipe near some shrimps and it was absolutely delicious!
★★★★★
G says
Simple but delicious enough to make the colleagues jealous at lunch 🙂