Breakfast or Lunch Just got a little Less Boring
Move aside avocado toast! This savory breakfast lentil open-faced sandwich will be a new go-to lunch or breakfast recipe. Healthy-ish and delicious, it’s a win-win. Wholesome, fresh ingredients and vibrant flavors with hearty lentils in a rich tomato-based sauce layered between tender, garlic Swiss chard and roasted tomatoes bursting with flavor, all on a base of creamy, velvety ricotta on toast.
And what’s not to love when you can feel good about what you’re eating? For example, did you know that Swiss chard has about 300 mg of Vitamin K, which is 3x the amount that’s recommended daily (WebMD)? Vitamin K is essential for bone health and blood clotting. We’ve mentioned it before, but lentils are a great source of fiber, and so are tomatoes! Tomatoes can fight inflammation, brighten skin, and contributes to brain, heart and even prostate health (Verywell Health).
Different Components, Lots to Love
This open-faced sandwich recipe has multiple components that come together to create a wholesome meal that will fill you up and is rich in nutrients. We recommend multi-tasking between prepping and cooking to make the most of the time. We are using our savory breakfast lentils recipe, which drives this sandwich home in terms of flavor. If you need to make this from scratch, it may add up to another 25 minutes. Let’s do this!
- To get started, organize your cooking area and collect all the necessary ingredients. Prepare your station by lining an oven-safe dish with aluminum foil and filling an 8-quart pot with water to boil on your stove. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400℉/ 200℃. Lastly, cover a medium-sized bowl with cheesecloth before diving in.
- Carefully spoon the ricotta onto the cheesecloth in the medium bowl, ensuring to remove any extra liquid. Let it rest and then set it aside. Wash the grape tomatoes with water and arrange them in the foil-lined dish. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil over the tomatoes, then sprinkle them with salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic granules. Gently massage the oil and seasonings into the tomatoes using your fingers until they are fully coated. Set the dish aside.
- Cut the Swiss chard into 1/2 inch pieces. Once the oven is preheated, place the tomatoes inside and let them roast for 20 minutes. While the tomatoes are roasting, add the Swiss chard to the boiling water to blanch for 1-2 minutes. As the chard is blanching, prepare a large bowl with water and ice. Drain the water from the greens and transfer them to the ice bath to halt the cooking process for about 2 minutes.
- While the greens are in the ice bath, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic to the oil and cook until it becomes fragrant (around 30 seconds to 1 minute). Remove the greens from the ice bath and place them in the pan. Sprinkle salt and squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the greens. Cook until wilted, approximately 10 minutes.
- Once the tomatoes are done, set them aside. Finally, for the ricotta, lift the cheesecloth and remove any excess liquid. Transfer the ricotta to the bowl and mix in the pesto and salt with a whisk or fork until well combined. Toast slices of your preferred bread and spread the desired amount of ricotta onto the bread, then top it with the wilted Swiss chard.
- You can warm the lentils (we do) in the microwave or a small saucepan. If you choose to do this, it will add 1-5 minutes. Alternatively, you can add them cold. Add the lentils on top of the chard, and finally, add the roasted tomatoes and more salt to taste if needed.
Questions and Answers
Do I need to blanch the Swiss chard and do the ice bath before I cook them in the pan?
No, you don’t need to. You may lose some of the chard’s vibrancy, but combining it with the other ingredients will still taste delicious. The ice bath helps the greens to stop cooking after blanching and maintain the color.
What other cheeses can I use other than ricotta?
You may be able to use feta cheese instead and drizzle on the pesto sauce for this open-Faced Sandwich.
How should I store and reheat this breakfast lentil open-faced sandwich?
Store components in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to five days or 3 months in a freezer. Microwave or add to a saucepan on low-medium heat on the stove to reheat until warm.
Savory Breakfast Lentils Open-Faced Sandwich
Equipment
- 1 Medium or large pan
- 1 Large bowl (if you want to blanche the Swiss Chard)
- 1 Large Pot (if you want to blanch the Swiss Chard)
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Knife
- 1 Juicer
- 1 Oven-friendly medium-sized dish
- 1 Whisk or fork
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Cheesecloth
Ingredients
- Grape Tomatoes:
- 12 oz Grape tomatoes
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Garlic granules
- 1/2 TBSP Olive oil
- Greens:
- 1 bunch Swiss Chard
- 2 TBSP Olive oil
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 Lemon for juice
- 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
- Pesto Riccota:
- 2 TBSP Preferred Pesto
- 1 15 oz Ricotta
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Loaf of Bread of Choice We recommend sourdough bread if you don't have allergies
- 1 Quart Savory Breakfast Lentils
Instructions
- You can start by setting up your station and gathering ingredients. To set up your station, line an oven-friendly dish with aluminum foil. Fill an 8-quart pot with water and set it to boil on your stove. Preheat the oven to 400℉/ 200℃. Lay cheesecloth over a medium-sized bowl.
- Spoon the tub of ricotta over the cheesecloth in the medium bowl, removing any additional liquid. Allow it to rest and set it aside.
- Rinse the grape tomatoes with water and place them in the dish lined with aluminum foil. Add 1/2 TBSP olive oil to the tomatoes and sprinkle salt, Italian seasoning, and garlic granules. Use your fingers to massage the oil and seasonings into the tomatoes until they are all coated. Set aside.
- Chop the Swiss chard into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Once the oven is preheated, place the tomatoes in and let it roast for 20 minutes.
- While the tomatoes are roasting, add the swiss chard to the boiling water to blanch for 1-2 minutes. While the chard is blanching, fill a large bowl with water and ice.
- Drain the water from the greens and place the greens into the ice bath to stop them from cooking for about 2 minutes.
- While the greens are in the ice bath, heat 2 TBSP olive oil to a pan on medium-high heat.
- Add minced garlic to the oil and cook until fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute).
- Remove the greens from the ice bath and place them into the pan. Add salt and juice 1/2 lemon over the greens. Cook until wilted, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the tomatoes from the oven and set aside after 20 minutes.
- Finally, for the ricotta lift the cheesecloth and dump out excess liquid. Transfer the ricotta to the bowl and combine the pesto and salt with a whisk or fork until well incorporated.
- Toast slices of your preferred bread.
- Spread the desired amount of ricotta onto the bread, then top of with swiss chard.
- You can heat the lentils (we do) in the microwave or a small saucepan. If you choose to do this, it will add 1-5 minutes. You can also add them cold. Add this to the top of the chard.
- Finally, add the roasted tomatoes and add more salt to taste if needed.
Did you Try this Open-Faced Sandwich?
Drop us a comment down below if you made these! Want to check out some more breakfast ideas? Try our plum or pumpkin muffins for a sweet meal.