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Adapted from The Washington Post
Serves 6
15 minutes preparation time
20 minutes cooking time
1 head of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil, plus a drizzle more
2 1/2 cups small French lentils
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste, divided
4 medium potatoes, peeled, and cubed (about 4 cups)
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel the outer layers off of a head of garlic, but leave the skin on the individual cloves of garlic and leave them attached in the head. Cut off the top of garlic head so that you can see the tops of the individual cloves. Place the head of garlic on a piece of foil and drizzle it with olive oil. Wrap the foil around it and bake it until it is tender and fragrant and the cloves are soft and brown, about 30 minutes.
While the garlic is roasting, in a small saucepan, cover the lentils water and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. When the pot begins to boil, lower the heat, add half a teaspoon of salt, and let the lentils simmer until they are tender, about 15 minutes.
In a separate saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and bring them to a boil over medium-high heat. When the pot begins to boil, lower the heat, add half a teaspoon of salt, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
When the garlic is finished, remove it from the oven and let it cool enough so that you can handle it. Peel back the foil and remove the individual garlic cloves from the skin with a knife or fork. Mince them finely.
Wisk the garlic, red wine vinegar, thyme, remaining teaspoon of salt, and pepper together in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil, wisking continuously, so that the dressing emulsifies.
When the lentils and potatoes have finished cooking, drain them and pour them into a large serving bowl. Add the dressing and toss everything together gently. Add the parsley and mix again. Serve warm.
Jobs for Children: Children can drizzle the olive oil over the garlic, wisk the ingredients for the dressing and scrub the potatoes. Older children can peel the potatoes, too, and chop them or the parsley.