Lentils with Roasted Kaki with Thyme
In winter, seasonal fruits are rare, however there is an often forgotten fruit that is perfect to give freshness to your winter dishes: the kaki or persimmon! Here is a recipe for Lentils with Roasted Kaki with Thyme.
Did you know that there are different varieties of kaki? The one I used to make this recipe is the“Rojo Brillante” kaki from the Spanish region Ribera Del Xúquer. It is a particularly big variety (between apple and mango), with a beautiful orange-red colour and no bitterness.
– this article contains advertising for the D.O.P. Kaki Ribera del Xúquer –
A few words about kaki…
The kaki also called persimmon is an orange fruit. It tastes like a combination of peach and mango, especially the“Rojo Brillante” variety.
The particularity of the kaki is that it is eaten in winter, between October and January, and is therefore ideal for varying one’s fruit consumption during this period of limited fruits and vegetables.
Another advantage of this fruit is thatit can be eaten almost whole! That is to say, you can eat the skin and as it does not contain seeds, you do not need to remove the center.
What makes the kaki D.O.P Ribera del Xúquer so special?
There are several varieties of persimmons or kakis. The one I used to make this recipe is the kaki “Rojo Brillante” from the Spanish region Ribera Del Xúquer, i.e. from the Júcar river valley next to Valencia.
The Kaki Ribera del Xúquer D.O.P. is therefore of a protected designation(denominación de origen protegida in Spanish) which you can recognise in the supermarket thanks to this label usually placed on the fruit.
The kakis are harvested by hand from the end of September. Later, the fruit is left to ripen in the absence of oxygen until it has lost all its bitterness.
The Kakis from the Ribera Del Xúquer are particularly sweet and without bitterness.
Recipe for Lentils with Roasted Kaki with Thyme
For 4 people you need the following ingredients.
Ingredients
- 200 g Beluga lentils
- 2 kakis D.O.P Ribera del Xúquer
- 150 g feta cheese
- 100 g hazelnuts, roasted
- Fresh thyme
- 1 lemon
- 15 ml of olive oil
- salt
- Pepper
Are you missing an ingredient? Here are some tips on how to substitute certain ingredients.
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 210 °C.
Cook the lentils in three times their volume of water for 25 minutes. When the lentils are cooked, rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Wash the kakis and cut them into eight pieces. Put them in a bowl and crumble the fresh thyme (about 8 sprigs). Add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well.
Place the kaki wedges in a baking dish and roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 210 °C, turning them over halfway through cooking. If necessary, put them under the grill for 2-3 minutes if they are not roasted enough.
Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice and crumble the fresh thyme. Add salt and pepper.
Crumble the feta cheese. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
Finally, mix the lentils, feta cheese and hazelnuts. Arrange everything on a plate and place the kaki wedges on top. Before serving, add the olive oil seasoned with lemon and thyme.
Pictures
Find the steps of the recipe in pictures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we eat the skin of the kaki?
Yes, the skin of the kaki is full of vitamins! Moreover, when cooked, the skin of the kaki becomes tender and therefore easy to eat.
Can I substitute some of the ingredients ?
As with every blog post, here are some tips for substituting ingredients in this recipe for Lentils with Roasted Kaki with Thyme:
- Beluga lenses: you can replace beluga lenses with any type of lenses. Beluga lentils have a firmer consistency, which is why I chose them for this recipe. Einkorn or couscous also go very well with this recipe.
- Feta: you can replace the feta with fresh goat cheese.
- Hazelnuts: you can replace the roasted hazelnuts with roasted almonds or pine nuts.
Can we prepare this recipe in advance?
Yes, you can! You can cook the lentils in advance and prepare the feta and the roasted hazelnuts. For the roasted kaki with thyme, you can prepare it in a dish and put it in the oven at the last moment.
Can we freeze this recipe?
I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
Can we cook these lentils with roasted kaki for a lunch to go?
Absolutely! It’s even a great idea for a winter takeaway. These lentils can be eaten cold or hot, I have tried both and it works very well!
Don’t hesitate to leave me a comment, it always makes me happy!
You can also find me on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok to see behind the scenes of my blog
Lentils with Roasted Kaki with Thyme
Click on the stars to rate!
Ingredients
- 200 g Beluga lentils
- 2 kakis D.O.P Ribera del Xúquer
- 150 g feta cheese
- 100 g hazelnuts roasted
- Fresh thyme
- 1 lemon
- 15 ml of olive oil
- salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 210 °C.
- Cook the lentils in three times their volume of water for 25 minutes. When the lentils are cooked, rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Wash the kakis and cut them into eight pieces. Put them in a bowl and crumble the fresh thyme (about 8 sprigs). Add a drizzle of olive oil. Mix well.
- Place the kaki wedges in a baking dish and roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 210 °C, turning them over halfway through cooking. If necessary, put them under the grill for 2-3 minutes if they are not roasted enough.
- Mix the olive oil with the lemon juice and crumble the fresh thyme. Add salt and pepper.
- Crumble the feta cheese. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
- Finally, mix the lentils, feta cheese and hazelnuts. Arrange everything on a plate and place the kaki wedges on top. Before serving, add the olive oil seasoned with lemon and thyme.
