Green Lentil Pâté
Appetizers Fasting Recipes Budget Recipes Vegetables
We've officially entered picnic and barbecue season, and homemade pâtés seem perfect for such occasions because they're easy to prepare, travel well, and can handle higher temperatures.
Today's pâté is vegetarian, identical in color to liver pâté - meaning not very attractive - but that doesn't stop it from being delicious and healthy. I seasoned it lightly, letting the pleasant, distinctive taste of green lentils come through, which I find to be the tastiest of all lentil types. This pâté is great spread on grilled flatbread, Lebanese pita, or alongside tomato salad, green salad, carrot sticks, or tabbouleh.
Ingredients
200g green/brown lentils
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
1/2 red onion
3 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds
25g butter (or oil for vegan version)
salt, pepper
Servings: 1 jar of 500 ml
How to prepare green lentil pâté
- Wash the lentils well and put them to boil with water and bay leaf. Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt in the last 10 minutes. At the end, only a little water will remain with the lentils, not enough to cover them.
- Meanwhile, sauté the finely chopped onion in melted butter until very soft (about 10 minutes). Add the crushed garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Remove the pan from heat and add the cumin and fenugreek. Stir.
- Put the lentils (remove the bay leaf but leave the remaining water) and the pan contents with onion in a blender. Add a little salt and ground black pepper. Blend for 1-2 minutes until you have a very smooth cream. The result will be a thick cream that flows slowly like lava. Taste for salt.
- Pour the pâté into jars and let cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Cooked lentils
Blending everything
Sandwiches with lentil pâté, tomatoes and tabbouleh
