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1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment. Rinse the lentils and pick out any debris. Peel and finely chop the onion and carrot, and mince the garlic. Finely chop the parsley and chives, keeping them separate. Zest the lemon, then cut it in half.
1 cup brown or green lentils,
1 piece yellow onion,
4 clove garlic,
1 piece carrot,
0.5 cup fresh parsley,
0.2 cup fresh chives,
1 piece lemon
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2. Remove any tough outer leaves from the cauliflower, keeping the core intact. Slice off a thin piece from one side to create a flat base, then cut the head into thick slabs from top to bottom to get several intact steaks. Reserve any large florets that fall off for roasting alongside.
1 head cauliflower
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3. Place the cauliflower steaks and florets on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with some of the salt, black pepper, ground cumin and smoked paprika on both sides, rubbing gently to coat.
1 head cauliflower,
5 tbsp olive oil,
1.2 tsp salt,
0.8 tsp black pepper,
0.8 tsp ground cumin,
0.5 tsp smoked paprika
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4. Roast the cauliflower on the middle rack for 20 minutes. Flip the steaks, rotate the pan, and roast until deeply golden and tender with crisp edges, about 10 to 15 minutes more.
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5. While the cauliflower roasts, warm some olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until softened and lightly golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
5 tbsp olive oil,
1.2 tsp salt,
1 piece yellow onion,
1 piece carrot
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6. Add most of the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the lentils, bay leaf, a few thyme sprigs, vegetable broth, a pinch of black pepper and a small pinch of red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 to 25 minutes.
0.8 tsp black pepper,
1 cup brown or green lentils,
2.5 cup vegetable broth,
4 clove garlic,
1 piece bay leaf,
4 sprig fresh thyme,
0.2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
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7. When the lentils are just tender, remove the lid and simmer gently to reduce excess liquid until the mixture is thick and spoonable. Remove and discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, then stir in chopped parsley, half of the chives, a squeeze of lemon juice and the butter. Taste and adjust salt, pepper and lemon.
0.5 cup fresh parsley,
0.1 cup fresh chives,
1 piece lemon,
1 tbsp butter
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8. In a small bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, remaining minced garlic, lemon zest, some lemon juice, honey, ground coriander, a pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper. Stir until smooth, then thin with a little water if needed to make a drizzleable sauce. Adjust seasoning to taste.
1.2 tsp salt,
0.8 tsp black pepper,
4 clove garlic,
1 piece lemon,
0.8 cup plain Greek yogurt,
1 tsp honey,
0.2 tsp ground coriander
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9. Spoon a generous bed of warm herbed lentils onto each plate. Top with a roasted cauliflower steak and a few roasted florets. Drizzle with the lemon yogurt sauce, then sprinkle with remaining chives, toasted sliced almonds and microgreens or baby arugula. Serve immediately with extra lemon wedges on the side if desired.
1 head cauliflower,
1 cup brown or green lentils,
0.2 cup fresh chives,
1 piece lemon,
0.2 cup toasted sliced almonds (garnish),
1 cup microgreens or baby arugula (garnish)
By mansi