An Easy French Dinner, from Pantry to Table
Warm Provençal soup, einkorn wheat pilaf with tomato and basil coulis, and lemony rocket, a dinner for two that comes together with just a few finishing touches
Some evenings, you do not feel like spending a long time cooking, but you still want a real dinner.
Something warm to begin. Then a generous main course served in shallow bowls, with a few fresh leaves alongside.
Those are the evenings when I especially like having a few jars in the pantry.
For this dinner for two, I would begin with our Provençal Soup, followed by our Einkorn Wheat Pilaf with Tomato and Basil Coulis and a simple lemony rocket salad.
Two saucepans warm gently on the hob. You cut a lemon, pick a few basil leaves, and set out two bowls and two plates.
Dinner is already taking shape.
Start with Provençal Soup
Tomatoes, courgettes, red peppers, carrots, herbs, a little garlic, and olive oil come together in our Provençal Soup.
It is delicate and deeply vegetable-forward, with pieces of vegetables still present in every spoonful.
For two people, I would simply warm one 500 ml jar and divide it between two bowls.
As it heats, the broth becomes fragrant and the vegetables soften just enough. It is the kind of first course that makes you want to pick up your spoon before the bowl has even fully settled on the table.
A few basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves and a fine drizzle of olive oil are all it needs.
For the first course
- 1 × 500 ml jar Karine & Jeff Provençal Soup
- A few fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper, if desired
Gently warm the soup in a saucepan.
Divide between two bowls. Finish with the herbs, a few drops of olive oil, and black pepper if you like.
Serve hot.
Then Einkorn Wheat Pilaf with Tomato and Basil Coulis
While you finish the soup, gently warm the pilaf.
The einkorn wheat brings texture. Tomato coats the grains, basil perfumes the dish, and Parmesan adds depth and richness.
Pilaf is a Mediterranean classic, of course. What feels French here is the way the meal unfolds: a warm first course, followed by a generous main dish with something fresh alongside.
Our Einkorn Wheat Pilaf with Tomato and Basil Coulis is already cooked. Warm it slowly, stirring gently, until the grains are tender and the texture becomes loose and creamy again.
A few fresh basil leaves added just before serving immediately change the plate.
Their fragrance rises with the heat.
The tomato is warm and savoury. The Parmesan is already woven through the grains.
It does not need much more.
Lemony Rocket on the Side
Rocket brings exactly the contrast I want with the pilaf.
Fresh, gently peppery leaves against warm tomato and Parmesan.
A little olive oil.
A squeeze of lemon.
Nothing complicated.
Dress the leaves only at the last moment so they stay crisp and lively when they reach the table.
Dinner for Two
Ingredients
- 1 × 500 ml jar Karine & Jeff Provençal Soup
- 2 jars Karine & Jeff Einkorn Wheat Pilaf with Tomato and Basil Coulis
- About 80 g rocket
- A few basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves for the soup
- A few fresh basil leaves for the pilaf
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, if needed after tasting
- A few tablespoons hot water, if needed for the pilaf
Method
Pour the Provençal Soup into a small saucepan and warm gently over a medium-low heat.
In a second saucepan, add the pilaf and warm over a low heat, stirring gently.
If it becomes too thick, add one tablespoon of hot water at a time until the texture is soft and creamy again.
Meanwhile, wash and thoroughly dry the rocket. Prepare the herbs and cut the lemon.
Divide the soup between two bowls. Finish with the herbs, a fine drizzle of olive oil, and black pepper if desired.
Serve the first course.
While you finish the soup, continue warming the pilaf over a very low heat, stirring occasionally. Add another spoonful of hot water if needed to keep it loose and creamy.
Just before serving the main course, toss the rocket with about 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Taste and adjust with a little more lemon or salt if needed.
Spoon the hot pilaf into two shallow bowls or plates.
Finish with fresh basil, a few drops of olive oil, and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve immediately with the rocket alongside.
A Few Minutes That Change Dinner
While the pans are warming, there is just enough time to set the table.
Two bowls for the soup.
Two shallow plates for the pilaf.
A small bowl for the rocket.
You can even warm the plates with a little hot water before serving the pilaf so the dish stays hot through those first few bites.
They are tiny gestures.
But they change the feeling of the meal.
Dinner did not take long to prepare, yet you still began with soup. Then came the steaming pilaf, fresh basil, and crisp lemony greens.
You sat down.
You had dinner.
From Pantry to Table
That is what I love about keeping cooked recipes in the pantry.
The jar does not have to be the end of the cooking.
Sometimes it is simply the beginning.
Tonight, the Provençal Soup opens the meal with vegetables and herbs.
The Einkorn Wheat Pilaf with Tomato and Basil Coulis follows, hot and generous, with fresh rocket alongside.
A few herbs.
A salad.
A lemon.
The cooking is already there. All that remains is to set the table and sit down.
Practical Information
Prep time: About 10 minutes
Heating time: About 10 minutes
Time before sitting down to dinner: About 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Provençal Soup is made with no meat or fish. Allergens: Einkorn Wheat Pilaf with Tomato and Basil Coulis contains gluten and milk.
Discover Karine & Jeff Provençal Soup
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