Israeli green bean casserole with lentil + mushroom

This Israeli version of the American classic replaces a silky tahini sauce for the cream of mushroom soup.  For best results, use the thin green beans, known as “haricots verts”.  This recipe was inspired by Michael Solomonov from his cookbook:  Zahav, A World of Israeli Cooking. 

Ingredients

1 cup basic tehina sauce
2 shallots, one chopped, one thinly sliced
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek
Kosher or sea salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup beluga lentils
4 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (approximately 1-pound, 4-ounces)
2 to 3 tablespoons aquafaba (chickpea or white bean cooking liquid, or liquid drained from canned)
1½ cups button mushrooms, quartered (approximately 5-ounces)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare the basic tehina sauce as directed here.  This may be done 1 to 2 days prior, stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

2. Add the basic tehina sauce in the bowl of a blender, add the two chopped shallots, along with the vinegar, black pepper, and fenugreek.  Blend on high until smooth; if mixture seizes up or becomes too thick, thin with a little ice water until desired consistency is reached.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

3. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Add a pinch of salt, the cinnamon, and lentils.  Partially cover and lower the heat to medium.  Simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 15 to 20 minutes.  Drain and set aside to cool.  This may be done 1 to 2 days prior, stored in cooking liquid in the refrigerator.

4. Prepare an ice water bath.  Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a medium stockpot.  Add a pinch of salt and the green beans.  Return pot to a brief boil for 5 minutes until the beans are somewhat tender.  Drain beans and immerse them in the ice water bath for 1 minute to stop cooking and maintain the bright color.  This step may be done 24 hours in advance; store beans in paper towel-line Ziplock bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5. Spread the mushrooms onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt, and bake in the oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven, toss to release moisture, and bake again another 10 minutes.

6. In a medium skillet, lightly salt the shallots and garlic, and sweat, covered, with a tablespoon of water. Add the lentils and tablespoon of aquafaba (or low-sodium stock) and sauté over medium heat until lentils start to swell, 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove to a bowl, cover with foil to keep warm.

7. Heat another skillet over medium high heat, add the remaining tablespoon aquafaba, and sauté the reserved cooked green beans, sprinkling lightly with salt, for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through and slightly browned.

8. Assemble the dish in the following manner:  Layer half the green beans in a serving dish, drizzle with half the prepared tehina sauce, top with spoonfuls of the lentils, mushrooms, fresh dill and sprinkle with lemon.  Repeat layering, and serve immediately.

Health benefits of fenugreek:  In addition to its notes of celery and sweetness that bring to mind carrots, onions, and garlic, fenugreek is purported to confer several heath benefits:  lowers blood sugar levels, helps to improve both types of diabetes, safely and naturally boosts testosterone levels and enhances libido in men, while boosting healthy estrogen levels in women, and increasing breastmilk production in lactating women

This recipe qualifies for the whole-food plant-based (WFPB) designation, meaning that it is made of only of whole plant foods and does not contain any extracted ingredients, such as sugar or oil, that would damage the body’s endothelium (the inner most lining of the arteries).