Simple Spiced Lentils
These simple spiced lentils are an easy, budget-friendly dinner idea! They’re packed with tons of plant-based protein for a healthy, vegan, & gluten-free meal idea!
Benefits of Cooking with Lentils
Can we talk about how awesome lentils are? They contain a whopping 9 grams of protein per 1⁄2-cup serving. A bowl of lentil soup like this one can easily provide more than 20 grams of protein. Plus, they’re easy on the budget.
I love showing how healthy meals don’t have to be expensive. To save even more money, grab your lentils in the bulk bin! It tends to be cheaper than buying bags of lentils.
Buying Fresh Lentils
Be sure your lentils aren’t too old. Although lentils don’t “go bad” like a lot of other ingredients, if your lentils are old, they won’t soften properly. They still last a long time, but unfortunately, sometimes the lentils you buy at the grocery store have already been sitting on the shelf for a month. I try to get them in the bulk bins because they tend to be fresher!
Tips for cooking lentils
Be sure to rinse lentils under cold water before using. There can occasionally be small stones or debris mixed in with lentils, so it’s a good idea to wash them in a colander first.
Benefits of eating lentils
Lentils are a great source of plant-based protein. They contain a whopping 9 grams of protein per 1⁄2-cup serving. Plus, they’re easy on the budget. In fact, they’re one of the cheapest protein sources you’ll find at the grocery store.
Different types of lentils
There are quite a few types of lentils, and they’re not necessarily interchangeable.
- Red lentils become very soft and breakdown when cooked. These can be great for pureed soups because they can thicken the broth.
- French lentils are sometimes called lentils de puy. These small, black lentils keep their shape well, and they’re great tossed on salads or in wraps. These are great for meal prepping because they won’t get mushy after being cooked.
- Brown or Green lentils are very similar, and that’s the type of lentil we’ll use for this recipe. They maintain their shape when cooked, but get soft with just enough “bite.”
If you’re looking for a quick, easy, healthy recipe, try these simple spiced lentils for dinner tonight!
PrintSimple Spiced Lentils
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Lentils
Description
These simple spices lentils are an easy and delicious main dish, made with a handful of pantry staples!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried brown lentils
- 2 1/4 cups vegetable broth, divided
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- black pepper, to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika or paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Place lentils in a medium-sized pot, with 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce, and simmer 20 minutes or until lentils are just tender.
- Drain any excess water from the lentils.
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet, over medium heat.
- Add chopped garlic cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato sauce, remaining vegetable broth, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, ginger, cumin, turmeric, paprika, garam masala, and cooked lentils.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro when ready to serve.
Notes
This recipe serves two people as a main dish. Feel free to double the recipe for a larger group.
Keywords: simple spiced lentils
I’m kind of obsessed with lentils and how delicious they are. They’re such an excellent vegetarian source of protein, and they offer the kind of heartiness that will satisfy even the meat-eaters in the family!
Looking for another simple way to use lentils? Try this garlic lentil soup! It can be made on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker for an easy meal!
Made this dish and liked how you can double the recipe with a click on 2X. Problem was that only the ingredients doubled, not the directions telling you how much liquid to cook the lentils in at first. I winged it and made the recipe work, tasted good!
★★★
I added some black eyed peas to ring in the New Year! 2021 will be better : )
Hi, my girlfriend and I love this recipe. The second time I made this I added 1/8th amchur powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and a quarter chopped red onion in when I added the garlic. Tastes great, thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
I love this recipe! I was looking for a last minute lentil recipe and made it for a quick weeknight dinner. So good! I’ll definitely make this again.
★★★★★
My husband has a heart condition and this recipe seems very high in sodium. is there a way to make these more heart healthy?
Hm.. it looks to me like the only high sodium part of it is the stock, you can buy low sodium stock. Garam Masala usually has very little sodium but some brands might do their own salty mix of it? I’m not an expert but I hope those two things help 🙂
★★★★★
Oh! and don’t add the 1/4 teaspoon of salt of course! a bit of extra lemon instead maybe
★★★★★
Great recipe – spinach goes great in this, too for a kick of greens! I added a little more tomato sauce to accommodate!
★★★★
Very easy and so good!
★★★★★
Great recipe. Served it with pan fried sea bass. It went down a storm.
Thankyou
★★★★★
Love this recipe – thank you
Tasty!!
★★★★★
Been looking for ways to eat more lentils because they’re cheap and healthy. Tried several recipes, but was never impressed. This one is a keeper! Thx
★★★★★
I’m so happy you liked it, Jen! Thanks for leaving a review!
This is a great recipe. The ingredients are all staples I always have on hand, it was easy to make and the end result was so tasty. Thanks!
★★★★★