Lentils with Spinach & Soppressata

I cannot cook lentils. I’ve tried many times with varying degrees of unsuccessfulness, most of the time resulting in a mushy mess. Then I discovered pre-cooked and pre-steamed lentils. Not only does it guarantee the perfect cooked lentil, but it also means recipes like this are ready in just 20 minutes. I love lentils too, because they are part of the legume family, they are a great naturally gluten-free option. They are low in fat and high in protein. This recipe is perfect for a light dinner and will feed 4, but is also a great side-dish/appetizer and can serve 6-8. The mild and earthly lentils get lots of flavor from the baby spinach sautéed in garlic and then the salty and seasoned soppressata.

Options, Substitutions and Tips!

1. If unlike me, you are able to cook/steam lentils, you could also use uncooked lentils and cook them or steam them prior and then follow along with the recipe (and maybe also tell me what I am doing wrong?).
2. In many of my recipes I give the option of substituting garlic powder for garlic cloves, but because there are so few ingredients in this recipe, I recommend using fresh garlic for sautéing the spinach in.
3. I also recommend using fresh spinach instead of a frozen chopped spinach or canned spinach. You could substitute regular spinach for baby spinach.
4. What is soppressata? Soppressata is an Italian dried pork sausage. It is similar to a Hard Salami. For this recipe you could use Sopressata or any dry Italian Salami, or even Chorizo, but you will want to use the cured meat that comes in a log shape so you are able to cut it in small cubes (not one of the thinly sliced options that you would use for a sandwich).
5. Taste a bit before seasoning with salt. I found because the sopressata gave off so much of a salty flavor, it did not need any additional salt or seasoning, so I recommend trying a bite with all the components and then seasoning just a little at a time.
6. I prefer this dish hot or warm, but like most lentil dishes, you could serve also serve this room temperature or cold.

Lentils with Spinach & Soppressata

Spinach is sautéed in fresh garlic then mixed with Lentils and Soppressata. This is a great fast (only 20 minutes!) light main dish or a side dish with lots of flavor.

• 3 cloves Garlic
• 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 6 oz. Baby Spinach
• 1 lb. Steamed or Cooked Lentils
• 6 oz. Soppressata ((Italian Dry Salami) )
• ¼ tsp Salt ((optional))

1. Chop 3 cloves of garlic. Heat olive oil in large pan or wok then add garlic and sauté on medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

2. Add baby spinach and stir to coat with olive oil and garlic. Cook just until spinach begins to wilt about 2-3 minutes.

3. Add cooked lentils and stir to mix with spinach. Occasionally stir lentils until they are heated, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, dice soppressata into small-sized cubes.

4. Add soppressata and stir to mix into lentils and spinach. Optional-add a little bit of salt to season (but taste prior to adding any additional seasoning).

Main Course, Side Dish