For a bowl of winter comfort, lentils are the easy answer
I take lentils for granted. I've had bursts of creativity using them, but for the most part they sit in my pantry while I reach for bigger, more tempting members of the legume family week in and week out. Until one day, I'm out of cans of chickpeas, don't have any cooked beans in the fridge or freezer, and don't feel like taking out the pressure cooker to bang out a new batch.
That's when lentils are my savior. They cook so quickly (even without soaking), and I can simmer them until tender for use in salads, pasta dishes, tacos and the like.
Or I can do what feels most right this time of year and toss them into soups and stews. My latest inspiration for the latter approach comes from America's Test Kitchen's book "Nutritious Delicious." It's a Thai-style red curry, but with much less coconut milk (and therefore, less fat), a combination of black lentils and tofu for protein, and barely cooked red bell peppers and snow peas for crunch.
Every ingredient plays its part, but the lentils are the backbone, dependable as ever.