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A bowl of black lentils with spinach and labneh.

Addictive Black Lentils with Spinach


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5 from 55 reviews

Description

Adapted from Stacy Adimando’s Piatti.

Scale this recipe up as needed. I find a half cup of lentils feeds two of us and leaves us with a teensy bit of leftovers. One cup of lentils would feed 4 people comfortably.

Labneh or burrata or Greek yogurt: The original recipe calls for burrata, which of course is delicious. I am loving using labneh here, but if you can’t find it, you could use this lemony Greek yogurt spread: 1 cup Greek yogurt + 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt — this is how I’ve been making it most recently as I haven’t been able to get my hands on labneh. 

You could also use homemade ricotta, or even goat cheese whipped with some milk to thin to a spreadable consistency.


Ingredients

For the lentils:

  • 1/2 cup black lentils (or French green lentils)
  • kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 5 ounces baby spinach
  • labneh or burrata (one 8-oz ball) or lemony-yogurt sauce (recipe below)
  • flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing

For the lemony-yogurt sauce: 

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Place the lentils in a small pot and cover with water by at least an inch. Add a teaspoon of kosher salt. Bring to a simmer. Simmer till done. Times will vary considerably. My black lentils have been cooking consistently in about 23-25 minutes. If you are using French Green lentils, they’ll likely need a little more time. Taste before draining them. 
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir. Cover the pan and immediately turn the heat to low. I like to cook the onions super slowly for the entire time the lentils are cooking. Open the lid to check on the onions periodically, allowing any water trapped in the lid to drip back into the pan.
  3. When the lentils are done, remove the lid from the onion pan and turn heat to medium. Add the vinegar and cook until it reduces and becomes almost syrupy. Add the lentils and stir to combine. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt, then turn off the heat. Leave the spinach alone for a minute or two, then use tongs or a large spoon to incorporate the leaves into the lentils. Taste. Adjust with sea salt as needed or a splash more vinegar if necessary.
  4. To serve, smear some labneh across a plate. Spoon the warm spinach and lentils over top. Alternatively, if using burrata, break up the ball of burrata and drop spoonfuls of the creamy cheese over top. Or, if you are making the lemony yogurt sauce, stir together the yogurt, lemon, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until smooth; then smear that over a serving platter, before topping it with the spinach and lentils. 
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian