Lentils and Air-fried Cauliflower

Red Lentil Ful with Roasted or Air-fried Cauliflower

This hearty meal is based on the classic Egyptian dish ful (known as daily grub of the Egyptian people), which is traditionally made with fava beans. I adapted this recipe taken from my new favorite cookbook, Cool Beans, given to me by my son for Mother’s Day.

I will usually pass up a recipe if it calls for spices I don’t have and may not be able to find at a regular grocery store. This recipe sounded so good that I was inspired to call a local spice shop and asked if they had sumac and ras el hanout. I’m so glad I did because my trip to the spice shop ended up being a fun experience. Besides the two spices I needed for the Red Lentil ful with Roasted Cauliflower, I found a section of the shop that had spice blends too good to pass up. I went home with a Moroccan Lentil mix, Taco Soup blend and a Honey Sriracha Lime Taco Seasoning. So, if you don’t have the spices needed, I recommend finding a local spice shop to visit. If you can’t find one, try https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/ but beware you may end up buying more than you had planned on!

The recipe called for roasting cauliflower however, not wanting to heat up the oven and house, I chose to air-fry the cauliflower. The results were perfectly charred yet tender deliciousness! If you don’t have an air-fryer (you should get one because they are amazing!) roast them in the oven for 20 minutes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as Brian and I do. If so please rate and share in the section below this post. I love reading your reviews and it helps the success of this blog.

Red Lentil Ful with Roasted or Air-fried Cauliflower

5 from 7 votes
Recipe by Jackie’s Veggie Kitchen Course: Dinner, LunchDifficulty: Medium
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

35

minutes

Red Lentil Ful with Air-fried Cauliflower

Ingredients

  • Red Lentil Ful
  • 1 Tbs. neutral vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup white onion chopped

  • 3 cloves garlic minced

  • 1/4 cup tomatoes chopped

  • 1 Tbs. ground cumin

  • 1 tsp. ras el hanout (Moroccan spice)

  • 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

  • 1 tsp. salt (plus more to taste)

  • 1 cup red lentils rinsed

  • 3 cups vegetable broth

  • 2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (2 cans drained and rinsed)

  • 2 Tbs. butter (dairy-free or dairy)

  • 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

  • 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

  • Air-fried Cauliflower
  • 1 head cauliflower cut in florets

  • 2 Tbs. Sumac

  • 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

  • Tahini
  • 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 Tbs. tahini

Directions

  • Lentil Ful
  • Pour the vegetable oil into a stock pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it shimmers add onion and saute until it starts to brown.
  • Stir in garlic, wait a minute or so then add tomatoes, cumin, ras el hanout, coriander, salt and pepper and cook until the tomatoes break down, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in lentils and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the lentils break down and become tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in chickpeas, salt to taste. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
  • Air-fried Cauliflower
  • In a bowl, toss together the cauliflower, sumac, salt and olive oil. Place half of cauliflower in air-fryer basket and cook until charred and tender 15-20 minutes. Repeat with other half of cauliflower.
  • Serve
  • Divide the ful among shallow serving bowls, top with the cauliflower, and drizzle with olive oil and tahini. Serve hot.

Notes

  • If cooking for 2 people you will have left-overs and so you can air-fry the second batch of cauliflower while you eat. If cooking for 4 people you may want to start the first batch of cauliflower just prior to making the Lentil Ful. (Place in 150 degree oven to keep warm) The second batch can be air-fried while the dul cooks.

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