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This right here is a big bowl of comfort, and I love it!

Caramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Also? It’s caramelized onion time!!

Yes and YES. Is anyone else a caramelized onion fan?

I’m not really an onion person unless they are deeply golden and caramelized to perfection. I mean, I am actually coming around more and more to onions, but for I’d say my first twenty-two years of life, I never even batted an eye for them. Onions were always those white smelly things that made people cry.

Glad to say I am soo over that, and that I have even developed a deep affection for caramelized onions. I’m even able to get my picky onion hating family to eat them too! They have to be really caramelized, but they’ll eat them. The lentils on the other hand… well they are a bit more of a struggle.

UGH.

Caramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvestCaramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

I love lentils, like LOVE them, but no one else in my family is into them at all. Or well, I am sure my brother Brendan is, but we don’t see each other all that much. I know my cousin Abby loves them too, but again she live in San Diego, so I see her mostly on holidays.

Oh well, I love lentils, so more for me I guess!

Do you guys remember back in January I made this Simple Coconut Quinoa and Lentil Curry with Lime Mango? That’s one of my favorite recipes, and I was just informed by HBH’s brand new marketing assistant, Alex, that it was the third most shared recipe of the year.

Umm, cool! Therefore, I figured it was a about time for another lentil recipe, seeing as you guys seem to be kind of into them! It’s pretty fun to know the recipes you guys love so much. Alex was looking into some of the most shared posts on the blog and I am not all that surprised by the top five recipes…I mean, this One Pot French Onion Pasta Bake? Yup, totally get why that’s a favorite!

Speaking of Alex, I have not yet gotten a chance to really introduce her. She is my new got-to girl, who will be helping me out behind the scenes with things like social media and updating the site a bit. She is awesome and I am so exited to have her on board! Should we do an introduction post with Alex? Kind of like a Q&A so you guys can get to know her a bit too? Thoughts… let me know in the comments section.

Caramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Okok, so back to the caramelized onion French lentils and cheesy toast!

I mean, isn’t this the most perfect looking bowl of cozy, yummy food or what? Soupy style french lentils with buttery, Gruyere toast?? Totally fall dinner perfection, and you know what…it’s pretty good for us too! Ok well, I suppose some of you might questions that giant hunk of bread with melted cheese oozing off of it, but you guys know me, who says bread and cheese aren’t HEALTH FOOD? Man has been eating bread and cheese for centuries! Even if you’re not into the carbs + cheese, the bowl of lentils themselves, with those caramelized onions, is honestly just soo healthy and delish!

I cooked the lentils in a mix of balsamic red wine (yes, yes, I did!) and veggie broth. I then added a little fresh thyme, a bay leaf and a pretty good pinch of flaky sea salt. Hello to a warm and cozy flavor explosion!

For some extra color I added shredded brussels sprouts to the mix (although to be honest, you really can’t even see they’re in there). I wanted something green, and since I was really just making these lentils for me, and me only, I decided to throw in my favorite green veggies. Oh yes, Brussels sprouts all the way! If they’re not your thing, no biggie. Maybe just use a green veggie like kale or spinach in place or simply omit them all together.

Just be sure not to skimp on the cheesy toast, it’s kind of the bestest?. Or lease in my opinion.

Caramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Caramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 937 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Add the onions + brown sugar and cook about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until softened. Continue cooking, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan frequently until the onions are golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Stir in the garlic, cook 30 seconds, add the balsamic vinegar, wine, and 2 cups veggie broth. Bring the mix to a boil and then stir in the lentils, bay leaves, thyme and season with salt + pepper. Reduce to a simmer and simmer 20-25 minutes or until the lentils are tender, adding more veggie broth towards the end of cooking to keep the lentils in liquid. Once the lentils are tender, remove the bay leaves + thyme. Taste and season as needed with salt + pepper.
  • Heat the broiler to high. Spread each piece of bread with butter then top evenly with cheese and place on a baking sheet. Place the sheet under the broiler and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the cheese has melted.
  • Serve the lentil warm with a side of cheesy toast! Enjoy!
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Caramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

I’ll be taking that bowl now, please and thank you. 🙂

Caramelized Onion French Lentils and Cheesy Toast | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    this might be my favorite recipe EVER! This is a go-to in our house, and my vegetarian self, my carnivore husband and my adventurous one year old all LOVE it – I always double or triple it, and we still fight over it before it disappears every time! Easy, cozy, DELICIOUS, and a great, healthy-ish, protein-rich veggie main! The carmelized / french onion flavor is so rich and nuanced, thanks to the red wine, fresh thyme and luscious, soup-y onions, and the flavors just improve after a day or two in the fridge! I made this a few days ahead and served with another HBH dish (the french onion tenderloin) for Christmas dinner and my entire family raved about it!

    1. Hey Courtney,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan

  2. 5 stars
    These are delicious! I did substitute beef broth for vegetable broth because that is what I had, but this recipe is so so good. Great as a side or entree.

    Sadly, I didn’t make the cheesy bread due to allergies but I’m sure that would make it even better! 10/10!

    1. Hey Bree,
      Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan

  3. Made this numerous times, it’s one of my favourite meals. Definitely recommend cooking the lentils a bit longer than the recipe says – I like them a bit softer. Don’t scrimp on the gruyere and sourdough either – it’s a simple dish that deserves the good quality little side dish. I use the 5th thyme stalk to tie the others into a bunch (makes them easier to pick out). Would love more tips if anyone has them!

  4. 5 stars
    Hey! on the pictures there seem to be some thinly sliced greens (cabbage?) in there too. Is there something missing from the recipe / ingredients list?
    Thanks!!

    1. Hey Katerina,
      I just add some fresh thyme. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

  5. 5 stars
    Wicked good! I used a mixture of chicken broth and water since it’s what had, as well as black lentils, which did make it take a tad longer to cook. I didn’t have any bread to make toast with either, so I did bacon and burrata on top instead.

  6. 5 stars
    another hit on a cold night. This is a great fusion of french onion soup and lentil soup. I added carrots and celery. it took 6 cups of broth to cook the lentils. the cheesy toast was crucial addition! It was devoured. Next time I’ll double the recipe for leftovers!

    1. I am so glad you loved this recipe Ginny! Thank you so much for trying it! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! xTieghan

  7. Just made this as I was looking for a lentils recipe and it was perfect! So cozy, filling, and flavorful, it makes the perfect meal prep for my school week 🙂

  8. 5 stars
    This looks absolutely divine! I am DEFINITELY making this for dinner tonight!! Your photos are stunning and well and so is your dishware! Where did you get those gorgeous bowls?? Cheers!

    1. HI! I add them once the onions are caramelized. That should be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much! xTieghan

  9. Caramelized onions are my FAVORITE. Pairing them with lentils is such a clever idea! Could you use any kind of lentils, or do they have to me primarily French?

  10. I made this, but after two + hours of simmering, the lentils were still hard. I put it in a crockpot to cook overnight and still after 8 more hours the lentils were not soft. Baffled, I looked this up online and found that lentils will not cook well in acidic solutions or with salt. Most people recommend adding those things at the end, not before the lentils are fully cooked. I was surprised to read the comments and not find a similar situation. Can you comment on this? The sauce was delicious, and I found the onion cooking times to be very accurate. The toast was also incredible. I’d like to make this recipe again but hope to resolve this issue. Thanks

    1. Hey Sam, I am really sorry, I have never heard of this. Totally stumped on this one as I have never experienced lentils not becoming soft after at the most 30 minutes. You can try soaking the lentils overnight in water and then cook them. That might help. Please let me know if you have other questions or how i might be able to help. Thank you!

  11. It looks amazing! Just a quick question. Did you put your lentils in water the night before? We do that for our lentil soup in Spain, but I’m not sure if you should do that with other recipes.
    Thank you!!