This hearty dish is a home-cook-friendly version of a multi-component wonder Rich Landau and company have served at V Street in Philly and Fancy Radish in DC. It’s based on the classic Egyptian dish ful (aka foul), which is traditionally made with fava beans.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes, by Joe Yonan, copyright © 2020. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Learn more about the book and read an interview with Joe Yonan on The Cook and The Book.

Serves 6

For the Lentil Ful:

  • 1 tablespoon sunflower, safflower, or other neutral vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup chopped white onion
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon Moroccan spice (such as ras el hanout) or baharat spice blend
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup red lentils, picked over and rinsed
  • 3 cups vegetable broth, store-bought no-salt-added vegetable broth, or water
  • 2 cups cooked or canned no-salt-added chickpeas (from two 15-ounce cans), drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted vegan or dairy butter
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

 

For the Roasted Cauliflower:

  • 1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets
  • 2 tablespoons sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Tahini, for drizzling

 

1. Preheat the oven to 450 º F. Set a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven while it heats.

2. To make the lentil ful: Pour the vegetable oil into a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add the onion and garlic and sauté until it starts to brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, cumin, Moroccan spice, coriander, salt, and pepper and cook until the tomatoes break down, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the lentils and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the lentils break down and become tender and the mixture becomes thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, butter, lemon juice, and olive oil and cook until the chickpeas are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.

4. While the ful is cooking, make the roasted cauliflower: In a bowl, toss together the cauliflower, sumac, salt, and olive oil. Spread out on the heated baking sheet and roast until tender and browned, 15 to 20 minutes.

5. To serve, divide the ful among shallow serving bowls, top with the cauliflower, and drizzle with olive oil and tahini. Serve hot.

 

Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, By Joe Yonan

From the food and dining editor of The Washington Post comes a deep dive into the versatility and flavor potential of the most important plant-based protein in the world.