Oh, how I love red lentils!

If I could choose only one food to take with me to a desert island, that food would be red lentils.  They are sweet and nutty and perfectly delicious!  As a bonus, they are full of protein, fiber, and micronutrients; do not need to be soaked; and cook in 10-20 minutes.  Red lentils sometimes hide out in the Mexican (Goya) or Indian sections of the grocery store, mysteriously sequestered from the other legumes — a best-kept secret for devotees, perhaps?

This recipe from Bon Appétit is our top, go-to red lentil dish.  It comes together in a flash and is wonderfully flavorful.  It’s a very thick stew — almost all the liquid is absorbed during cooking.  We like to use Greek yogurt — also readily available in grocery stores these days — at the end to make the meal creamy and extra delightful.

Whip yourself up a batch — you will be happy you did!

Curried Red Lentil and Swiss Chard Stew with Garbanzo Beans
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
5 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 14-ounce cans chicken or vegetable broth
1 large bunch or 2 small bunches Swiss chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
1 pound red lentils (about 2 1/4 cups)
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
Plain or Greek yogurt

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until golden, about 13 minutes. Mix in curry and cayenne. Add broth and chard. Increase heat; bring to boil. Add lentils and garbanzos; reduce heat to medium.

Cover; simmer until lentils are tender, stirring twice, about 10-15 minutes. Divide stew among bowls. Top with yogurt.