A couple of weeks ago, students from MDI high school’s Asian Affinity Club hosted a multicultural food festival at Neighborhood House. We were so honored to be the beneficiary of this fundraiser: a lovely event in a beautiful space with a delicious spread. The chicken biryani blew our socks off, and I was delighted to gobble up fresh homemade scallion pancakes, spring rolls, and more.

I thought I’d recreate the dish I brought to that event for this week’s supper, since it seemed like something I could easily scale up for our big weekly crowd. The recipe (which I borrowed from Smitten Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs) answers the question on everyone’s mind: “What if French Onion Soup were actually a vegetarian casserole?” 

Since Tuesday, multiple people have asked me for the recipe, and one of our steadfast volunteers just texted that I’d created her new favorite Open Table MDI meal.

We paired this French Onion-Style Lentil Bake from Smitten Kitchen with homemade dinner rolls, a vegan caesar salad, and roasted broccoli with garlic oil.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds yellow onions
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups dried farro
• 3/4 cup dried green (le puy) lentils
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 6 cups vegetable broth 
• 2 cups of shredded cheese: any combination of gruyere, swiss, parmesan, and asiago work well

HOW-TO

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Halve and then slice the onions in fine strips.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large, deep saute pan. Caramelize onions (don’t stir them too early or too much!).
• Add garlic to the onions and cook, stirring, one minute. 
• Add the farro and cook for 2 minutes,
• Add lentils, broth, and thyme and bring to a simmer. 
• Season well with salt, pepper, and more thyme to your liking.
• If the mixture has absorbed all the liquid, add a little more broth until it loosens up. If your pan is not oven-proof, transfer to a deep baking dish. 
• Bake with a lid or foil for 45 – 50 minutes, adding liquid halfway through if needed. It’s done when the lentils and farro are tender and the onions melt in your mouth!
• Cover the surface of your casserole with the shredded cheese of your choice and broil for a couple minutes until deliciously golden brown on top. 
• Let sit for a few minutes, then smear on the nearest baked good!