Braised Lentils with Swiss Chard and a Poached Egg

I never knew that lentils could be so sexy. I mean, look at that egg. Anyway, this dish came into my radar last week and I quickly added it to the meal plan. I always have things like garlic, eggs, shallots, and lentils lying around. I have been meaning to do a post on kitchen staples, but time has not been on my side lately. I picked up some beautiful red chard at the farmers market to complete this. I don't own a nonstick pan so I decided to poach the eggs instead of frying. I really like this method for poaching eggs, and it works pretty well for me. The earthy lentils and bite of the chard went well with that beautiful, creamy egg yolk. I was practically licking my dish when it was done. I think the only thing that could make this better is a bit of crusty bread to sop up the egg yolk and braising juices. I have a feeling I will be making this dish often this season.


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Braised Lentils with Swiss Chard and a Poached Egg
(Lightly adapted from Serious Eats who adapted from Last Night's Dinner)

Makes 2 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup French green lentils
1 bunch winter greens, such as kale, chard, collards, etc. (I used swiss chard)
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup red wine
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste
Splash of lemon juice or sherry vinegar (optional, I forgot and it was fine)
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 eggs

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until soft, 2-3 minutes. Add 1 cup water and the red wine and the lentils, bring to a boil, and simmer, covered, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 25-30 minutes. Add more water as necessary. Season to taste with salt.

In the meantime, wash the greens and slice the leaves away from the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil, garlic, and chili flakes in a saucepan or large skillet until fragrant, then add the leaves along with 1/4 cup or so of water and a pinch of salt. Cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and allow the leaves to steam as the water evaporates, tasting for tenderness and adding more water as necessary. Finish with lemon juice or vinegar to taste if desired.

When the lentils and greens are nearing completion, poach the eggs in simmering water. Serve the greens on a bed of lentils, topped with the egg and fresh black pepper.

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