french onion baked lentils and farro
This is clearly not a pasta bake, but it was supposed to be one. From November to December, I was pursued by a vision of an oozy, decadent french onion pasta bake — that is, the flavors of french onion soup applied to baked pasta with a bronzed and broiled gruyere topping. What was not to love? How could it not be delicious? But it was never right. I made it a few times and I never wanted to eat it. It was too rich and didn’t have enough to bite into, even by the intended standard of holiday indulgence. In the last round, I added cauliflower to it so it felt like more of a pasta-and-vegetable bake and I liked it even less (damp? somehow).
Then, as if a better idea fairy had been summoned from thin air, or perhaps a direct message on Instagram, an Elizabeth from Oakland, CA reached out and told me she’d made a farro and lentil bake with tons of caramelized onions for dinner the night before, told her kids it was french onion soup rice, and they devoured it. “Literally just oil (or butter), good stock, wine, onions, farro, lentils and thyme, and gruyere broiled on top,” she explained. Suddenly it was as if the sun had appeared from behind the clouds after a week of rain, or removing an entire block of lines in Tetris with a satisfying bloop sound, it was clearly, and retroactively obviously what I’d have preferred the whole time. I immediately made it too.
The melodrama ends here, phew, because I think this is perfect; it’s loose enough to suggest risotto, hearty enough to be utterly filling, and tastes so precisely like french onion soup that I’ll never get tired of it. Even cold, days later, I couldn’t stop eating the leftovers. I thought I’d run it for a final recipe of the year here, a luxurious late holiday season dinner, but I believe I took a nap instead. That brings us to today: It’s cold, rain and wind are heading in our direction, the sun is still setting before 5pm and it’s still dark when we wake, and thus I still be requiring bubbling, cozy dishes with cheese on top until things improve. Come join me.
Previously
6 months ago: Flaky Chocolate Cake
1 year ago: Cauliflower Salad with Dates and Pistachios
2 years ago: My Favorite Lentil Salad
3 years ago: Lemon and Lime Mintade
4 years ago: Roasted Squash and Tofu with Ginger
5 years ago: Plush Coconut Cake
6 years ago: Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas
7 years ago: Chocolate Dutch Baby
8 years ago: Blood Orange, Almond, and Ricotta Cake and Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
9 years ago: Key Lime Pie and Make Your Own Vanilla Extract
10 years ago: Pear and Hazelnut Muffins and Warm Lentil and Potato Salad
11 years ago: Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic
12 years ago: Buttermilk Roast Chicken
13 years ago: Baked Potato Soup
14 years ago: Black Bean Soup + Toasted Cumin Seed Crema and Cranberry Syrup and an Intensely Almond Cake
15 years ago: Clementine Cake and Mushroom Bourguignon
16 years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad and Fried Chicken
17 years ago: Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
French Onion Baked Lentils and Farro
This dish was inspired by a message from an Elizabeth from Oakland, CA, I am so grateful for. She said she got some guidance from Ali Slagle’s Baked Farro With Lentils, Tomato and Feta, so a hat tip goes there too!
- 2 pounds (910 grams) yellow onions (4 large or 5 medium), sliced
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon (15 grams) olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) dry sherry, vermouth, or white wine (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) dried farro
- 3/4 cup (135 grams) dried lentils, any variety, but green (le puy) or brown (italian) are my favorites here
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 6 cups (1.4 liters) vegetable broth + splashes more, if needed
- 2 cups (8 ounces or 225 grams) coarsely grated gruyere cheese
Caramelize your onions: Heat butter and olive oil in a large, deep saute pan, ideally one that’s ovenproof, over medium heat. Add the onions, toss to coat them in butter and oil and cover the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the onions slowly steep for 15 to 20 minutes — they don’t need your attention. You want to start the stirring process sooner if they’re browning or sticking to the pan. Uncover the pot, raise the heat to medium-high (for now) and stir in salt — I start with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Cook onions, stirring every few minutes (you can check less often in the beginning, and will have to frequently stir later in the process) until the onions are brown, soft, and sweet, about 20 minutes more. You’ll want to reduce the heat to medium once any water the onions emitted has cooked off.
Heat your oven: To 375°F (190°C).
Assemble casserole: Add garlic to the onions and cook, stirring, one minute. Add sherry, if using, and cook until it disappears. Add the farro and cook for 2 minutes. Add lentils and 6 cups broth and thyme and bring the mixture to a simmer. Season well with salt and pepper as needed. If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer it at this point to a casserole dish.
Bake the casserole: Cover the pan and bake, stirring about halfway through, until the lentils and farro are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. If all of the liquid has absorbed, either at the midway through point or at the end, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup splash of broth. We’re looking for a risotto-like looseness or light “slosh” in the pan. Fish out thyme stems.
To finish: Sprinkle the dish with gruyere and broil until browned on top.
Do ahead: The dish keeps fantastically in the fridge for 4 to 5 days; rewarm in a 350-degree oven. You can also prepare the lentil and farro base a few days early, rewarm it (it will likely need more broth at this point), and broil the cheese on top right before serving.
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