Braised Puy lentils

Braised with stock, vegetables and red wine, these nutty little grey-green lentils are the kings of the pulse world. They are a great side dish, and make a warming, stand-alone vegetarian lunch or supper, maybe with some grilled garlic and oil rubbed sourdough on the side. We start with soffritto base of onion, celery and carrot, then add the lentils with thyme, bay, tomato paste and red wine, cover with stock and gently simmer until the liquid has been absorbed the lentils are tender. A final splash of olive oil and wine vinegar and you have a versatile dish that can just as easily be served warm as a vegetable or at room temperature as a salad. May be frozen. Defrost before reheating and add some freshly chopped herbs before serving. Large is 1 litre of lentils, small 500ml.

Olive oil, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, lentils, thyme, bay, vegetable stock, tomato paste, parsley, lemon juice.