Lentils, like beans and chickpeas, are versatile, comforting and nutritious. They’re an ideal pantry staple because, unlike their legume cousins, they don’t require pre-soaking and they cook quickly. So quickly that almost any lentil can go from dried to done in less than 30 minutes.
Julia Kesler Imerman of Atlanta-based Stop Think Chew can rattle off a dozen ways to enjoy lentils. Her business is built around encouraging her clients to enjoy locally sourced, nourishing food whether they’re eating one of her Brekkie Bowls or other prepared dishes, ordering from her weekly meal prep service, hiring her as a private chef or learning about healthy cooking through one of her courses.
Kesler Imerman was born in South Africa, and her food memories are divided between her grandmother’s South African kitchen and her father’s kitchen in Atlanta. Her sensibility about food was formed early while spending time with her grandmother, Annette Kesler, a food writer who still works with the young chefs of Capetown. “Every time I am in South Africa, I really notice the freshness and the vibrancy of the food. I began to realize that it was because the food was sourced locally. When food doesn’t travel so far, it tastes much better.”
Credit: Kate Blohm
Credit: Kate Blohm
She didn’t train to be a chef. Working professionally in nonprofits, she found herself drawn to the work in restaurant and catering kitchens. In 2017, she made the leap from employee to entrepreneur. She started Stop Think Chew, became an educational chef for the Community Farmers Markets and worked as a private chef. In 2020, with the pandemic in full force, she pivoted into prepared foods and a weekly holistic meal prep service. Her signature dish is her Brekkie Bowl, “brekkie” being South African slang for “breakfast.”
Her savory lentil Brekkie Bowl is one of her most popular and was her first offering for Clarkston-based Fresh Harvest. The bowl is a combination of lentils, roasted beets and basmati rice flavored with herbs and golden raisins. The sweetness of the beets, raisins and balsamic vinegar brings out the sweetness of the lentils and brightens their earthy flavor. The hawaij spice, with its mix of cumin, pepper, turmeric, coriander, cardamom and cloves, tips the flavors toward the Mediterranean.
She also has fond memories of the lentil dishes her father, Steve Kesler, would prepare. “My dad was eating organic and healthy way before it became trendy. ... I remember his lentil vegetable soup and he often used lentils in sloppy Joes. Lentils are a good substitute for animal protein. They are a really high nutrient food, full of fiber, too. They’re exactly the kind of ingredient we like to use when creating our bowls and our dishes because we serve so many vegans. They bring a meaty quality to our meals.”
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
A quick primer on lentil types:
Brown lentils are widely available at your local grocery. They’ll cook in about 30 minutes and retain their shape unless they’re cooked to the point of breaking down.
Green lentils look very similar in size and shape to brown lentils, just a slightly different color. They are used in the same way as brown lentils and cook in about the same amount of time.
French lentils are a dark slate green, smaller and harder to locate. Also known as Puy lentils, they come from a particular region in France and cook in about 20 minutes. They hold their shape and will retain a little bite even when completely cooked.
Black beluga lentils look just like their name: little black pearls of caviar. As with French lentils, they may take a little searching. These are the smallest lentils and cook in about 25 minutes, completely holding their shape and glossy appearance.
Finally, red and yellow lentils are sold split and cook very quickly, to the point of making a puree with no effort on your part. They are widely used in soups and stews where they also serve as a thickener. They cook in about 15 minutes.
RECIPES
Lentils are a nutritional powerhouse, well worth space in your pantry (or freezer for longer storage). Lentils are chameleons, working with all kinds of spices and in everything from soups to sides to the featured attraction in a healthy salad.
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
Jai Ho’s Mulligatawny Recipe
This rich, traditional Indian soup is a mainstay of Jai Ho’s menu and is served for lunch and dinner at both the Dutch Valley and Krog Street Market locations (it’s called “Lentil Soup” on the menu at Krog). This particular version is the creation of Jai Ho’s executive chef and co-owner Anish Nair.
Yellow lentils are also called toor dal and available at Indian groceries and often in the bulk food department at your local natural foods store or Whole Foods Market. Red lentils are more widely available and may be found in the international aisle of your grocery store. Curry leaves are sold at the Buford Highway Farmers Market and other stores carrying East Asian groceries.
Adapted from a recipe by Jai Ho Indian Kitchen & Bar.
Credit: Chris Hunt
Credit: Chris Hunt
Lyla Lila’s Crispy Flounder with Lentils, Leeks and Blood Orange
Craig Richards, chef-owner of Lyla Lila, sent these notes when he shared this recipe. “Green lentils, or the prized Italian lentils from Castelluccio in Umbria, have a smoky and slightly sweet flavor when they’re cooked almost to the point of breaking down. I’ve found that these flavors, smoky and slightly sweet, along with something acidic, like citrus, is a delicious pairing with seafood.”
Serves 4.
Adapted from a recipe by Craig Richards of Lyla Lila.
Credit: Kate Blohm
Credit: Kate Blohm
Stop Think Chew’s Eat Me Up Lentil Bowl
When prepping for this bowl, Julia Kesler Imerman suggests reserving the leek tops for your next pot of vegetable stock. The recipe calls for red beets, but a combination of red and golden beets, as in the photo, is striking.
Adapted from a recipe by Julia Kesler Imerman of Stop Think Chew.
Adapted from a recipe by Julia Kesler Imerman of Stop Think Chew.
Hawaij Spice
2 tablespoons cumin seeds or ground cumin
2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns or ground pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds or ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Warm a small skillet over low heat. Add cumin, peppercorns, turmeric, coriander, cardamom and cloves. Let toast 10 minutes or until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. If using whole spices, grind in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Makes 6 tablespoons.
Adapted from a recipe by Julia Kesler Imerman of Stop Think Chew.
TYPES OF LENTILS
There are several different types of lentils available. The cooking times vary.
Brown: 30 minutes
Green: 30 minutes
French: 20 minutes
Black beluga: 25 minutes
Red and yellow: 15 minutes
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