Oven-Baked Barbecue Lentils
Serves 8-10, as a side
Adapted from Washington Post
1½ cups dried large green or brown lentils, rinsed
4 cups vegetable stock
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ large onion, diced
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sauce from a can of chilis in adobo sauce (optional - adds a spicy, smoky flavor)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1½ teaspoons chili powder
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Barbecue sauce, for serving, store bought or homemade (Sweet and Spicy BBQ Sauce, Mustard-Based Carolina-Style BBQ Sauce, Butter-Based Texas-Style BBQ Sauce)
Chives or scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish, optional
Preheat the oven to 300° F (150° C).
In a large Dutch oven, add everything except the barbecue sauce and the garnish. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together. On the stove top, bring the mixture to a boil before transferring it to the oven.
Bake, with the lid on, for 2 hours, checking occasionally and adding more stock if the mixture looks dry.
Remove the lid, stir, taste, and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve as is or mix extra barbecue sauce into the lentils. Garnish with chives or scallions.
Enjoy!