My family just got back from a 10-day trip to Italy. We dined on risotto with shaved truffles in Florence, crispy pillows of gnoccho fritto with shaved ham in Parma, and tagliata (grilled steak) in Conegliano. We also drank lots of wine and ate lots of gelato. We moved our bodies a lot (including a massive hike up Mount Pizzoc) but I still felt really heavy—and, if I’m being honest, stopped up.
During a conversation with my husband at the end of our trip, we realized what the problem was. We were missing vegetables in our diet. We did our best to order them when we went out to eat—which was 90% of our meals—but our only option was often a basic green salad. Even our 12-year-old daughter, Lila, said she was craving a salad when we were in the airport coming home! So when I asked them what they wanted me to make for dinner when we got home, I wasn’t surprised when they said almost simultaneously: mujadara and Greek salad.
I won’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of or eaten mujadara. The dish, which has origins in the Levant, is humble. The most basic version consists of lentils and bulgur or rice cooked with loads of caramelized onions. My dad’s family is Lebanese, and while he’d talk about how much he loved it, as the youngest child, he never learned to make it himself. I didn’t have it until my early 20s, when I asked him for suggestions for a Lebanese recipe I could make for my vegetarian friend. My dad suggested I call my aunt and ask her to tell me how to make mujadara.
One hour and several pages of notes later, I was armed with a recipe. I made it for my friend, and we both fell in love. (She even texted me the other day asking for the recipe 20-plus years later. Hi, Sarah!)
Mujadara has been in rotation ever since. It’s a family favorite—my husband and daughter request it regularly and almost always after we get home from vacation. A couple of years ago, I created a version of it using my Instant Pot, which made it all the easier. I sometimes struggled with getting the rice and lentils cooked in one pot, but this version always gives me perfect results. I usually serve it with strained yogurt, lemon wedges and chopped fresh mint on top and a big Greek-style salad on the side.
Since each serving has 10 grams of fiber, it can help get things moving. This nutrient is key to a healthy gut, helping to add bulk to our bowel movements, which can help them move more swiftly through our system. And the soluble fiber in lentils attracts water, softening our stools and making for a more pleasant exit.
Since we always have leftovers, my husband and I reheat bowls of it for lunch or freeze anything we won’t get to in time. I always love finding a single serving of mujadara in my freezer that I can bring to the office for lunch. I hope you try it and fall in love with it as much as my family has! Since the ingredients—lentils, onions, rice—have long shelf lives, you can always have them on hand as I do for an easy meal to get things moving. If you try it, don’t forget to leave a rating and review—I read every one!
