This is a great recipe for a main course. It can be made as-is for a vegetarian dish or you could add some grilled chicken or shrimp. For this round I chose to serve it with lima beans for protein. They have such fantastic flavor and texture (and Neil and I both love them). The lentils are a wonderful pairing with the fresh lemon juice, and the artichoke hearts add an element of buttery sweetness. This is a perfect fit for a healthy meal with tons of flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
  • 3/4 cup dried red lentils
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 6 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 pound whole wheat linguine
  • 1/4 pound fresh green beans, cut to one-inch lengths
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 4 artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
  • Handful of frozen peas

Directions

  1. In a medium pot add broth, 1 cup water, onion, lentils, garlic, mushrooms and green beans and bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are very tender and falling apart, about 20 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and stir until lentils break apart to make a sauce.   Add peas.
  4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add linguine and cook until al dente, drain and return to pot.
  5. Immediately add artichoke hearts and lentil sauce to hot pasta, toss well and serve.
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