Lentils with Lovage

This isn’t your typical lentil stew. Green lentils simmer with lovage, thyme, orange peel, and softened shallots until tender, then the cooking liquid gets reduced into a concentrated, butter-enriched sauce that coats every lentil.

Lovage is the ingredient that makes this special. It tastes like celery’s bolder, more aromatic cousin, with a deep herbal intensity that pairs beautifully with earthy lentils. If you can get your hands on it (try a farmer’s market), it transforms this simple dish.

The strip of orange peel simmering with the lentils adds a floral brightness you can’t quite identify in the finished dish, but you’d definitely miss if it weren’t there. It lifts the whole bowl.

Kitchen Tips

• Use whole green lentils (Puy or French green), not red or yellow. They hold their shape during cooking instead of dissolving into mush.
• Soften the shallots without browning them. You want their sweetness, not the caramelized bitterness that comes from coloring.
• Reduce the cooking liquid by half or more after draining. This concentrates the lovage and thyme flavors into a glossy, flavorful sauce.
• If lovage isn’t available, the recipe’s own substitution is excellent: young celery leaves with a pinch of celery salt, lemon zest, and curry powder.

Variations

• Serve as a bed under pan-seared duck breast or roasted salmon for an elegant main.
• Add a splash of sherry vinegar after reducing the sauce for a sharper, more acidic finish.
• Stir in a spoonful of whole-grain mustard for a Dijon-lentil side that pairs well with roasted pork.