This Italian lentil stew recipe is richly flavored with smoky pancetta and plenty of aromatic vegetables, like carrots, celery, onion and garlic, Top with fresh arugula, a perfectly poached egg, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic for a super satisfying meal!

Cooking dinner is one way I love to decompress at the end of the day. For many people, especially parents, cooking is not exactly a stress relieving activity. But personally, I like to take some time, occasionally pour a glass of wine, and turn on some comfort TV so it’s a relaxing experience.

Currently, my comfort TV is Parts Unknown. I love Anthony Bourdain so much. He tops my list of celebrity crushes, although something tells me he probably wouldn’t go for an almost vegetarian dietitian. There’s just something about him that is so warm, despite being a self defined asshole from New York. Even shows that explore countries with tragic histories somehow calm down my nervous system at the end of a tough day.

One of my favorite episodes recently was Detroit. I've never been, but it's easy to see what an incredible city it once was and still is, despite so much of it being in, well, in ruin. He drew comparisons to Machu Picchu and Akgor Wat, which seemed shockingly accurate.

In one of the scenes, he ate dinner at a fire station with a group of overworked and underfunded firefighters, who served him a homecooked meal of crab cakes and lamb chops. They talked about how all the meals cooked at the firehouse were paid for out of their own pocket. Antony said something along the lines of "If I was cooking for you guys, it would always be peasant food. It would be stews and soups every night."

While the firefighters didn’t exactly look thrilled with that idea, I kind of loved the response. It made me realize that peasant food is some of my favorite food. It's funny to think how it was once looked down upon, considered "poor people" food, but so many dishes we regularly eat were once considered peasant food. Think ribolllita and minestrone in Italy, rataouille in France, and mujadarra in the Middle East. And of course, here in the south we’ve got an array of dishes that are some combination of beans, greens and rice - think hoppin’ John, red rice and beans, and grits with tomatoes. Rich in veggies, grains and beans, “peasant food” is also some of the most nutritious!

That episode must have had me craving some peasant foods, because when I was picking out recipes for the week, this lentil stew recipe called my name. A creamy, deeply flavored lentil stew, seasoned with a bit of pancetta, plus peppery arugula and a poached egg, it is a perfect example of peasant food. Although I did finish it off with a drizzle of truffle oil so that might change things a bit!

How to Make This Italian Lentil Stew Recipe

This Italian lentil stew recipe is incredibly simple to make. Start the stew by crisping diced pancetta in a Dutch oven to render the fat, which serves as the base of the stew and adds lots of yummy, smoky flavor. Next, saute aromatic vegetables including carrots, onion, garlic and celery in the rendered fat. Add a bit of tomato paste and a bay leaf, which deepens the flavor, then the lentils and broth and simmer until tender. I like to mush it up a little bit with a potato masher to thicken it.

To serve this Italian lentil stew, top it with a handful of fresh arugula and a poached egg. I like to garnish it with a drizzle of good olive oil and balsamic, and sometimes I’ll shave a bit of parmesan or drizzle some truffle oil over it as well. The yolk is SO yummy broken into the lentil stew.

What Type of Lentils Should You Use in This Lentil Stew Recipe

I would recommend using green or brown lentils in this lentil stew recipe. They hold some texture so the stew won’t be a complete mush, but also break down a bit for thickening purposes. If you use green French lentils (aka lentils du puy), it will work just fine, but these retain texture better so you’ll have to break them down a bit towards the end. Ditto for black lentils. The only lentils I wouldn’t use in this recipe are red lentils, which break down quite a bit and would be more of a mush. They’re prefect for Indian curry dishes like daal, but not so much for this lentil stew recipe.

Lentil Stew Recipe Adaptions

This Italian lentil stew recipe is a pretty simple one, but there’s lots of ways you can dress it up. While the pancetta gives it a meaty, smoky flavor, you can make it an even meatier dish by adding spicy Italian sausage or roasted garlic sausage. Although I haven’t tried it, it might also be tasty as a chicken and lentil stew. I would brown boneless, skinless chicken thighs with the pancetta, pull them out and then add them back in with the lentils and broth to simmer. Before serving, shred the chicken thighs into the stew.

Feel free to add additional veggies to this lentil stew. I might try spinach, kale, cauliflower, or diced sweet potatoes.

Serving Suggestions for this Lentil Stew Recipe

While this lentil stew recipe is a satisfying, complete meal on it’s own, here’s a few ideas for side dishes:

Italian bread, like my no-knead focaccia
A side salad, like my roasted beet and avocado salad or kale, cherry and crispy prosciutto salad
Simple roasted vegetables, like broccoli rabe or green beans

If you enjoyed this Italian lentil stew recipe, follow my favorite beans recipes Pinterest board for more cooking inspiration.

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Lentil Stew with Fried Eggs and Arugula

Serves 4ish

Adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients

2-3 ounces diced pancetta
2 medium carrots, finely diced
2 celery ribs, finely diced
2 large yellow onion, finely diced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 1/4 cups green lentils
1 quart chicken broth
Eggs
Arugula
Olive oil, for garnish
Aged balsamic, for garnish

Instructions

Heat pancetta in a Dutch oven on medium heat. Cook until most of the fat has rendered and pancetta is crispy. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic and a large pinch of salt and black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and bay leaf and cook about 1 minute.
Add the lentils, 3 cups of broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cook partially covered, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add 1 more cup of broth and simmer thickened and stewlike, and the lentils are tender, about 10 minutes. If needed to thin out the broth or cook the lentils, add more broth and cook a little longer - just check the lentils in 5 minute increments or so. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
When ready to serve, poach the eggs. I am absolutely awful at describing how to poach eggs, so go to this link at Smitten Kitchen for instructions with pictures.
Serve the stew in individual bowls, topped with a handful of arugula and a poached egg (or two!). Top the egg with a pinch of salt and black pepper, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and serve!