If you're looking for the best lentil recipes, you've come to the right place. These 20 lentil meals are easy to make, packed with fiber, and with simple ingredients.
Browse through this list, and take your pick: from 30-minute dinners, and salads, to easy and quick family-friendly side dishes. All of them with dried, canned, red, brown, or green lentils!
Let's see how these easy and wholesome everyday meals are made!
1. Lentil curry
This creamy and rich lentil curry is a guaranteed family favorite. With split red lentils, it's ready in just 30 minutes, and it pairs with practically any veggie. Simply serve it with white rice, and dinner is ready!
2. Lentil bolognese
This rich and earthy lentil bolognese is a wonderful sauce for spaghetti and linguine pasta. It's plant-based, made with green or brown lentils, and a restaurant-worthy meal with authentic Italian flavor.
3. Lentil tabbouleh salad
This lentil tabbouleh salad is a refreshing starter or side dish with added plant-based protein. Serve as is with toasted bread and hummus, and enjoy a wholesome vegetarian lunch!
4. Italian lentil pasta
This Italian lentil pasta is perfect as a tasty and easy everyday dinner or as a make-ahead meal. We use green or brown lentils to make a rich, wholesome, and satiating pasta dish. Freeze your leftovers, or eat them the day after - this pasta is even more flavourful the day after.
5. Cauliflower lentil salad
This cauliflower lentil salad is a light and refreshing way of eating lentils. Roasted cauliflower makes the vegetable base, add canned and rinsed lentils and drizzle with our creamy cumin dressing.
6. Sweet potato and lentils salad
Sweet potato cubes are perfect in this colorful sweet potato lentil salad. Have it for lunch, a make-ahead dinner, or bring it to potlucks and picnics. This is one of our favorite ways of eating canned lentils; a real family favorite!
7. Carrot salad with lentils
Our Moroccan carrot salad is a delicious and aromatic recipe with tender boiled carrots, fragrant ground cumin, canned lentils, and a few other simple ingredients. It's a perfect lunch idea for school or the office, and stores for 3-4 days in the fridge.
8. Lentil soup with leafy greens
This lentil soup is perfect as an everyday dinner, and as a make-ahead meal as you can store it for up to 4 days in the refrigerator, and for up to 3 months in the freezer! It's made with green lentils and a one-pot method, simply serve it with a slice of toasted bread for a balanced lentil-packed dinner.
9. Lentil hummus
Creamy, velvety smooth, and ready in 5 minutes! If you're looking for a dip to go with your appetizer or vary your hummus routine a little, you need to try this velvety smooth lentil dip.
10. Stuffed zucchini boats
These lentil zucchini boats fall without doubt into the healthy comfort food category, are plenty nutritious, and are packed with wholesome plant-based protein.
11. Red lentil soup
This hearty and tomato-rich red lentil soup is a winter weeknight favorite of ours. Red lentils cook in 15-20 minutes, which makes this soup ready in just 30 minutes!
12. Lentil and rice 'Mujaddara'
Lentil, rice, and onion Mujaddara is a delicious Middle-Eastern dish seasoned with spices and caramelized onions. Eat it as a wholesome dinner with mint yogurt and a side of tomato salad.
This list is updated daily.
More legume-packed recipes
If you're looking to incorporate more fiber-rich legumes into your diet, take a peek at these vibrant plant-based recipes:
- Cauliflower salad with chickpeas for a boost of plant-based energy to keep you full all day long
- Mediterranean farro salad with roasted veggies, chickpeas, and pistachios
- Chickpea pasta salad: a quick and easy lunch idea ready in 25 minutes!
- Black bean salad: Inspired by Mexican flavors, this recipe is perfect for making ahead and eating for a quick and nutritious lunch, or bringing potlucks and picnics.
- Italian bean stew with authentic Italian flavor, pinto beans, and tomato sauce
Or try one of these 35 favorite chickpea recipes with a variety of meals made with garbanzo bean or chickpea flour.
For many more 30-minute meal ideas, check out our 30-minute meal category page.
Recipe
20 Best Lentil Recipes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger (optional)
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ⅓ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon coriander (optional)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup split red lentils or de-hulled red lentils
- 1 small can (15 ounce) crushed tomatoes
- 1 small can (13.5 ounce) coconut milk full fat or reduced fat
Serving suggestions
- 4 wedges lemon
- 1 handful cilantro or flat leaf parsley
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened dairy-free yogurt optional
- 2 cups basmati rice
Instructions
- To a pot add the oil and chopped onion. Gently fry the onion for 3 minutes, then add grated garlic and grated ginger and fry gently for another minute.
- Turn the heat to low, then add the spices: 2 teaspoons curry powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ⅓ teaspoon chili flakes, ½ teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon pepper.Toast the spices while stirring on low heat for a short minute.
- Add vegetable stock, rinsed red lentils, crushed tomatoes, salt, stir and cook for about 20 minutes, or till the lentils are almost cooked.
- Add the coconut milk, stir well, and finish cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, till the curry is thicker and creamier, and the red lentils are fully cooked.
- Serve the lentil curry on basmati rice with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, freshly chopped cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley) and optionally a spoonful of unsweetened plant based yogurt.
Video Recipe
Notes
Nutritional Values
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