I'm certainly no Sam-I-Am when it comes to green lentils, fried eggs, and thick cut, smoky bacon.
This has been the winter of the lentil. I've been making lentil soups, salads, and sides like a mad-woman. I made this curried lentil soup 3 times... In two weeks. I just can’t get enough. I’ve also been making different variations of warm lentils topped with fried or poached eggs. This happens to be the best I’ve made thus far—green lentils with bacon, roasted tomatoes, and olive oil fried eggs. It’s savory, smoky, and salty, and feels like a hearty stew on a cold winter night…but I bet over a bed of arugula, it could just as easily pass for a light lunch on a spring day.
Serves 2 as an entree, 4 as a side/salad
2 tomatoes-roughly chopped
Olive oil, cider vinegar, salt, and pepper
3/4 cup green lentils
6 oz thick-cut bacon, cut into bite-size chunks
1 cloves garlic-minced
1 shallot- finely diced
2 tablespoon olive oil
2-4 large eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss tomatoes with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or until tomatoes burst and brown in a few spots. Take out of oven and set aside.
After putting tomatoes in oven, cover lentils with cold water by 2 inches in a saucepan, then simmer uncovered about 20 minutes—drain (reserving 1/2 cup liquid).
While lentils are simmering and tomatoes are roatsting, cook bacon in large skillet until almost crisp. Add shallot and garlic Cook, stirring, until just tender (in this step, you could also add chopped asparagus, if it suits your fancy!). Add to pot with lentils, add tomatoes. Heat over low until liquid just begins to reduce. Salt and Pepper to taste (though it should be fairly salty, with the bacon and tomatoes).
Add olive oil to skillet and heat over moderate heat. Fry eggs to desired doneness, season with salt and pepper. (For excellent olive oil fried eggs, try this recipe).
Top lentils with eggs, devour. Repeat.
