Being a Girl on Food can be tough on my wallet and my waistline. I’ve realized that I need to start cooking at home more often, even if it’s just for me and my boyfriend. I came up with this healthy recipe on a day when I was too lazy to go grocery shopping. Although I was making it up as I went along, I shocked by how good this turned out. It’s definitely a side dish worth sharing. Lentils are great, zero fat, high in fiber and protein, perfect for those watching their weight. Enjoy!
Soybean Paste, White Type
Girls on Food Miso Lentils
Makes 5 x 1/2 cup servings
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons of Soybean Paste, White Type
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup whole green small lentils, sorted and rinsed
- Salt and pepper to taste
I got my Soybean Paste at a Japanese Market called Mitsuwa Marketplace. It’s a giant grocery store that has a food court, coffee and pastry shops and sushi grade seafood. I could spend an entire day there. There are darker, saltier miso pastes to get, but I prefer the lighter kind.
Start by browning the yellow and green onion with the coconut oil together in a medium to large sized sauce pan, stovetop. Once they’re looking cooked, turn the heat down to a low simmer. Then add the soybean paste and 2 cups of water. This should look similar to the miso soup you would order in a sushi restaurant.
Broth is almost ready to add lentils
Bring the miso soup to a boil. Then add the green lentils.
The lentils swimming in soup
I let the lentils boil in the soup for about 5 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and simmer until liquid is almost absorbed, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Once the liquid is absorbed, turn off heat and allow it to cool for 5 minutes. They will have a creamy texture but will still be a little firm, cause that’s the green lentil’s texture.
The miso lentils, almost ready to plate
I’m a little embarrassed with my meat topping choice here. It was healthy to go with pan fried tilapia… but it wasn’t easy on the eyes. I tried to dress it up with some wilted spinach and a little cherry tomato. Sigh. Sorry.
My ugly tilapia (sadface)
The lentils would go great with rotisserie chicken, grilled veggies or tamari marinated tofu. Those would also look prettier.
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