PINK LENTIL CREAM
Serve as an elegant first course appetizer soup, use as gravy or as thickener/flavor enhancer for other sauces instead of cornstarch/flour and bouillon. Easy, cheap and super smooth!
Makes 4 cups
2 c. washed pink lentils
4 c. water
1 t. pink Himalayan salt
fresh grind black pepper to taste
2/3 c. plus 3 T. additional water
Combine lentils and water in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 1 hour. Remove cover, stir and continue cooking if they need more softening.
When mushy soft (remember we’re making a cream), remove from heat and keep covered till ready to continue on a recipe. Actually, since I didn’t get to these today, I refrigerated them overnight.
When ready to continue, remove lentil mash from refrigerator. Add 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt and stir to incorporate.
Add 1/3 c. filtered water to bottom of blender container followed by 2 cups lentil mash. Blend till velvety smooth. Start low till motion creates a whirlpool effect, then go to high speed. Transfer to clean bowl.
Repeat with 1/3 cup more water and 2 cups more lentil mash. Transfer to bowl.
For the last cup of mash use 3 T. water and blend as before. Transfer to bowl. Salt to taste, then pack up in covered containers and refrigerate till ready to use.
Notes: Be sure to add the water to blender container first, then top with the lentils to make the process easier and smoother.
Legumes and beans cook faster when you don’t salt the water. Salt the legumes and beans after they cook. They cook up like rice and should absorb nearly all the water when done. Adding more water will not speed up the cooking time.
All these lentils need are salt and pepper, that’s how flavorful and fragrant they are naturally. However, if you prefer to spice or herb the cream, then do it.
Similarly, it doesn’t need any oil or fat, but once again if you want to elevate the experience to a haute cuisine effect, then drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil on top of the soup after you place it in the serving cup or, depending on what you’re saucing, add additional flavor ingredients.
Bake some potatoes. Slit the tops open exposing the cooked potato, then top with fresh steamed broccoli buds plus fresh grape tomato halves. Spoon Pink Lentil Cream over all. Perfect fat-free dish.
FAT-FREE CHEF™ 