Brown lentils and chard make a hearty, simple side dish with tender leaves, earthy flavors and a bright touch of lemon. Serve warm with grilled vegetables, meat or flatbread.
Lentils with chard fit right in on a mezze table, but they’re also a practical side for a simple main course. Brown lentils generally hold their shape better during cooking than red lentils, which break down more quickly. The result is a dish of distinct, tender lentils with leaves folded through, without everything turning to mush. Chard has a slightly earthy, sometimes mildly bitter flavor; lemon juice and olive oil bring freshness and roundness to balance it at the end.
In the Netherlands, chard is most readily available from late spring through fall, although availability varies by shop and season. Choose firm stalks and leaves without limp or dark spots. The white stalks take longer to cook than the leaves: cut them small and add them earlier. This gives them time to become tender while the leaves largely retain their color and shape. If your chard has thin stalks, you can add them in slightly larger pieces; very thick stalks are better cut smaller.
The lentils should be cooked through but not split open. Cooking times can vary depending on their age and brand, so taste toward the end and add a little extra water if needed. Let everything simmer gently rather than boiling hard: this helps the lentils stay more evenly intact and lets the liquid thicken gradually. Add salt during cooking, bearing in mind that less liquid will remain as the pan reduces. A wide pan helps the dish cook gently and makes stirring easier.
Use brown lentils if green lentils aren’t available; check the package, though, as cooking times vary. Red lentils aren’t an ideal substitute for this texture: they soften more quickly and turn the dish into a thicker lentil stew. You can use chard with smaller leaves instead, or, if you can’t find any, substitute kale; it generally takes a little longer to cook and gives a firmer result. Balance the garlic and lemon: the lemon should lift the earthy flavors, not overpower them.
Serve the lentils warm with bread to soak up the liquid, or alongside grilled vegetables, chicken or lamb. They also go well with other mezze, such as a fresh salad. Once cooled, leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator and used within three days. Reheat them in a pan with a small splash of water until piping hot throughout; if the flavor has become a little flat, stir in a little more lemon juice or olive oil after reheating.
Rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold water and remove any small stones. Cut the chard stalks into pieces about 1 cm long and the leaves into wide strips.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the lentils, water, salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes with the lid slightly ajar.
Stir in the chard stalks and cook for another 8–12 minutes, until the lentils are nearly tender. Add the leaves and cook for 4–6 minutes, until wilted and the lentils are cooked through but still intact. Add a splash of water if the pan cooks dry.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and adjust the salt or lemon to taste. Serve warm.
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