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Home » Recipes » Vegetarian

Mediterranean Braised Lentils with Poached Egg

Published: Apr 16, 2020

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About a year ago I made Mediterranean braised lentils with poached eggs for a client. They were, without a doubt, the best lentils I had ever tasted. I always thought this legume was boring but this recipe changed my mind. Sadly, I forgot to save the recipe and I couldn't for the life of me find it again! I desperately wanted those lentils again but without a source, I had to figure it out on my own. Well, I'm sure you guessed it but I was able to replicate the dish. Naturally, me being me, I added a couple more elements like black pepper yogurt and sizzled herbs to make this dish one spectacular meal. Goodbye boring lentils, hello flavor town!

mediterranean braised lentils
Mediterranean braised lentils
Mediterranean braised lentils
Print Recipe

Mediterranean Braised Lentils with Poached Egg

Total Time45 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: vegetarian
Servings: 4
Author: Cherry on My Sundae

Ingredients

Mediterranean braised lentils

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium red onion diced
  • 2 teaspoon garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon fennel ground
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • ½ cup lentils
  • ½ cup red wine
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • salt and pepper

Black pepper yogurt

  • ½ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Cherry tomatoes

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
  • salt and pepper

Sizzled greens

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup fresh dill chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • juice of ½ lime

Remaining ingredients

  • 4 poached eggs

Instructions

  • Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped red onion and saute until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add 2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon fennel, ½ teaspoon oregano, and ½ cup lentils, stirring to combine. Add ½ cup red wine and bring to a simmer. Continue to cook until almost all of the red wine has evaporated.
  • Add 2 cups vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils are tender and the liquid has evaporated.
  • Meanwhile, make the black pepper yogurt. Combine ½ cup yogurt with 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside.
  • Prepare the blistered cherry tomatoes. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the halved cherry tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are seared and softened, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  • In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add ¼ cup fresh dill and ¼ cup fresh parsley and cook for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and add the juice of ½ lime.
  • Poach the eggs.
  • Assemble the plates. Spread the black pepper yogurt on the plate and top with the braised lentils, blistered tomatoes, poached eggs, and sizzled herbs. Serve immediately.

**Helpful tips and common mistakes

When you look up recipes for lentils, they are usually cooked in water or stock. Maybe a little garlic, a little wine, or some onion, but that's about it. I wanted more. So, I turned to Mediterranean food for inspiration and added ingredients like tomato paste, smoked paprika, fennel, oregano, and red wine. It seems so simple but when you combine all of these items together, they work like a charm.

saute onion and add lentils

Saute the onion until softened, then add the garlic along with the tomato paste, lentils, and all of the seasonings. Add the red wine and let it cook out before adding the vegetable stock. You can season the lentils now but pre-made stocks usually already have salt in them so I like to season after.

braised lentils

Cook until the lentils are tender on low heat, allowing them to soak in all those flavors. Meanwhile, make the black pepper yogurt and sizzled herbs. For the yogurt, use freshly cracked black pepper for the best results. For the sizzled herbs, I used dill and parsley but you can also substitute it with oregano, cilantro, or even basil.

remaining ingredients

Quickly blister some cherry tomatoes on a saute pan, poach some eggs and your meal is ready. Spread the black pepper yogurt on the bottom of the plate and pile on all the goodies.

Mediterranean braised lentils

I had an idea in my head of what these Mediterranean braised lentils would taste like and let me tell you. This was beyond my expectations. The creamy yogurt balances the rich lentils with the runny eggs and the zesty herbs just finish it off. I could eat this every day and not get tired of lentils.

Mediterranean braised lentils

For more Mediterranean food inspiration check out this Mediterranean breakfast toast recipe!


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Hey there! My name is Christine and I'm a chef during the day and food blogger at night. Welcome to my world highlighting what's in season, sharing travel tidbits, and just living a simple life in the busy city of Los Angeles.

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