What else can I make with lentils?

January 25, 2021 7:09 PM

There is exactly one recipe that I use lentils for, but I'd like to add some more recipes that use lentils to my repertoire!

I bought a bunch of lentils to make the above recipe for a price I couldn't resist. What else can I use them in?

If it matters, I have a bunch of green lentils on hand. I should have bought French lentils for that recipe, but it tastes fine with the green ones I purchased. I'm probably not going to go out and buy other types of lentils until I get these ones used up.

posted by VirginiaPlain to Food & Drink (44 answers total)

Lentils are good in all kinds of stew-y things. Mirepoix + diced tomatoes + italian sausage + lentils + kale is a good wintery one.
posted by axiom at 7:15 PM on January 25, 2021 [4 favorites]

Canada loves lentils! The lentil growers from my province have assembled a variety of recipes here: https://www.lentils.org/recipes-cooking/
posted by Juniper Toast at 7:19 PM on January 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

100% you should try making lentil-mushroom pate (the recipe calls it "faux gras"). I've had it in a restaurant, and I've made it, and it is easy and delicious! And as the recipe says, the non-fancy green lentils are ideal for it.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 7:21 PM on January 25, 2021 [5 favorites]

Just look up "dal recipes," "masoor dal recipes," or "lentil dal recipes" and be amazed at the variety of soupy, spiced dishes available to you. Many are extremely straightforward to make and are excellent served over rice, with bread, or on their own. I've got a dal in the pressure cooker as we speak, made with sweet potato and carrots and a heap of spices, and I'll eat it with some steamed spinach for dinner. My house smells like heaven.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 7:22 PM on January 25, 2021 [15 favorites]

Came to 2nd dal; seems pretty tame on the surface but has tons of variety.
posted by furnace.heart at 7:29 PM on January 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

Easy French Lentils

Warm French Lentil Salad with Bacon

I've never been a big lentil person (my mom used to serve them more or less unseasoned and mushy), but both of these work for me.
posted by praemunire at 7:29 PM on January 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

I often add a couple handfuls of green lentils to any soup-like thing that's going to be simmering another 10-15 minutes, just to bulk it up. I do not bother trying to catch them while they are still lentil-y and just expect them to cook to mush and become thickener, much like potatoes tend to do in long-cooked soups or stews.

I just added some yesterday to my winter staple, sweet potato groundnut stew.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:31 PM on January 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

You seem to have a pressure cooker, so I recommend this recipe, with the tahini sauce it links to: https://www.feastingathome.com/instant-pot-mujadara/ If you also have an air fryer (or a lot of patience) I highly recommend making some crispy caramelized onions to put on top of it.
posted by lgyre at 7:36 PM on January 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

Also there are a thousand different "sausage and lentils" recipes out there that are all slightly different, you can pick based on what kind of sausage you like best. I grew up on one like this, with loose sweet or hot Italian sausage and usually a little extra fennel seeds.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:36 PM on January 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

This salad is awesome, hearty enough to be a whole meal, and calls for green or black lentils. I've used both and it's good either way. I love it with the arugula. (It's a great potluck/sharing dish, too, for future reference.)

Mujadara is super good and this recipe works for green or brown lentils.

+1 to masoor dal and if you have a pressure cooker, it takes the same amount of time to make as white rice. Perfect pairing.
posted by mandanza at 7:52 PM on January 25, 2021 [2 favorites]

This Black Bean and Lentil Soup recipe is one of my favorites. Very filling, delicious with a kick from the red pepper, and it’s healthy. You can easily use any kind of lentils. I make it about once a month!
posted by bookmammal at 8:30 PM on January 25, 2021 [1 favorite]

I’ve made this spinach and dal recipe quite a few times; it’s really good. I’m not totally sure about it with the type of lentils you have on hand but could be worth a try. Here: https://www.foodandspice.com/2009/04/toor-dal-palak.html?m=1
posted by JenMarie at 8:34 PM on January 25, 2021

This is the best non-Indian lentil soup I've ever had, from The Post-Punk Kitchen:

Smoky Tomato Lentil Soup with Spinach and Olives

We've used harissa instead of smoked paprika, with excellent results; even my lentil-ambivalent spouse enjoys it.
posted by sencha at 8:37 PM on January 25, 2021 [3 favorites]

As others have mentioned, I love making mujadarrah and daal. Some curry powder, coconut milk, cumin and lentils with onions, garlic and ginger will never steer you wrong. Another fave is Koshari, an Egyptian dish with lentils, rice, pasta and chickpeas with fried onions. Braised French lentils with carrots, onion, celery in stock is a great side dish that keeps in the fridge for a good while, too.
posted by pazazygeek at 10:00 PM on January 25, 2021

Adas Polo is a Persian lentil and rice dish.

This recipe is not a very traditional Persian lentil soup but very tasty and simple to make. Also it is quite tasty without the special dried lime if you can’t find it near you.
posted by Swisstine at 10:32 PM on January 25, 2021

This coconut lentil curry is easy and good. You can use different spice mixes. I've made it according to the recipe, and using satay powder instead if curry powder, and it was great both ways. It does come out pretty soupy, you might want to back off the luquid a little to make it thicker.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 10:34 PM on January 25, 2021

Any beef stew I make has a mixed assortment of lentils and things in it (typically red and brown lentils, maybe split peas, and particularly pearl barley for the texture). There's no logic - it's whatever is in the cupboard. And there's nothing wrong with using lentils and nothing else.

After a couple of attempts with a recipe you should find you can throw it together with whatever you have to hand - onion and garlic, mushrooms and celery are my favourite flavourings and I usually chop up a potato and some parsnip if I have any. Sage is also a good pairing. Seriously, it's hard to go completely wrong as long as you eyeball the liquid you have to work with, because the pulses absorb it.

Find any online recipe and be flexible with it. If it has plenty of liquid and at least a 30 minute pressure cooking time you can put in several handfuls of pulses and there will be enough water to absorb and time to cook.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 12:45 AM on January 26, 2021

Vegetarian chili and lentil soup
posted by neushoorn at 1:26 AM on January 26, 2021

Lentils have been a bit of a life saver this past year in lockdown (although mainly puy lentils, and often the precooked packet ones). Lockdown living has meant a lot more family meals with a) vegetarian kids b) fussy eater non-vegetarian kids [and fussy eater vegetarian kids tbf] and c) my personal dislike of meat substitute mince.

We've used lentils in place of mince for things like spaghetti bolognese and shepherd's pies and they've gone down really well. (To the extent that at least one non-vegetarian now prefers vegetarian bolognese to the 'real' thing).
posted by Hartster at 2:24 AM on January 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Ina Garten's Stewed Lentils is just delicious. Sometimes I add chunks of kielbasa though it shines on its own.
posted by Elsie at 2:39 AM on January 26, 2021

Smoked pork and legumes are best friends, and lentils are no exception.

I get two kinds of lentils: red lentils, which are split with no skins, and lentils with skins on (which come in different varieties).

The split lentils cook very quickly and turn to mush, so I either substitute them for peas in a pea and ham soup, or add a smaller amount to a soup or stew I want to thicken.

The lentils with skins take longer to cook and don't go mushy, so I use them in soups where I want the texture of individual lentils (the way that I use beans).

You can put them in pretty much any kind of meat and/or vegetable soup or stew: a chunky chicken and vegetable soup, a tomato-based stew with beef or pork, or anything else. You can a lot of lentils to make them a prominent component, or in a smaller proportion to de-emphasize them.
posted by confluency at 2:48 AM on January 26, 2021

Crescent Dragonwagon's Greek lentil and spinach soup with lemon. Link is to blog post with recipe and story of a nurse who has been eating it every day for lunch for years. It was also a story in the Washington Post, in case you can access that.
posted by Rufous-headed Towhee heehee at 3:19 AM on January 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

i love dals and lentils a bunch, but you said you have green lentils and dont want to branch out yet. my mom, who is decidedly not a cook, LOVES this recipe for canal house lentils which calls for your green ones you have on hand. She wouldnt stop talking about it.
posted by Exceptional_Hubris at 4:11 AM on January 26, 2021

There are a gabillion recipes for pasta with lentils. This is the one I tried.

I made something recently from one of my cookbooks that was a braised stew of beef shank and pork short ribs with lentils and vegetables; it took a couple hours but the house smelled amazing. This is close to it.

Seconding any of the lentils with bacon recipes above. Also - you can make a very nice complete meal by taking the "easy French Lentils" recipe linked up here, then topping it with some crumbled goat cheese and serving it with some simple boiled beets on the side. I speak from experience.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:48 AM on January 26, 2021

My family likes these lentil tacos.
posted by wisekaren at 5:12 AM on January 26, 2021

just nthing that green lentils won't cook down into creamy mush (or would take a ton longer cooking time) the way some of the recipes above call for. If you're not super experienced with lentils (the way I was/probably still am) then I would stick with recipes that call for green, french, or maybe black lentils. I guess you could cook them and puree if you really wanted a dal consistency? I'm not sure if that would be gritty.
posted by brilliantine at 5:29 AM on January 26, 2021 [3 favorites]

I used Madhur Jaffrey's Red Lentil dal a lot as a student, and we still use it now.

This veggie shepherd's pie with sweet potato mash is a rock solid tasty dinner.
posted by biffa at 5:50 AM on January 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

I make the originally-linked Serious Eats recipe all the time, but I've recently been experimenting with some modifications. One of my favorite variations is a chicken lentil chili. I leave out the bacon and parsley and add 3-4 tbsp chili powder, a couple of cloves of garlic, and some tomato paste.

Another one I like: Leave out the bacon, parsley, and bay leaf. Add garlic, ginger, 1-3 tbsp curry powder, and some tomato paste or canned tomatoes. Then I add part of a can (or a whole can!) of coconut milk after pressure cooking, and then let it simmer for a few more minutes.

I've experimented with different vegetables in the base recipe, too. Celery, more carrots, potatoes, are all excellent. I have added small pieces of cauliflower post-pressure, and simmered for a few minutes to soften. It's a great starting point for all sorts of flavors!
posted by tybstar at 6:54 AM on January 26, 2021

I’ve posted this once before because I really like it: Stuck-pot rice and lentils, which I first encountered here and traced back to here. I like a variation on those recipes, since it took me a few tries to get it right, plus I want it with brown basmati instead of white. I use the second linked recipe as the foundation, and...

Bring lightly salted water to boil.
Add 1.5c rinsed brown basmati - adjust to lively simmer
After 15 min, add 1 c rinsed lentils - lively simmer another 12 min
Meanwhile, slice 1 lg onion; chop .5c dates; zest 1 orange
Drain rice/lentils, put in large bowl
Add butter + oil to pot and brown onions + salt, pepper on med high
Meanwhile, flavor rice/lentils to taste with salt, pepper, and curry powder or its components (I usually don't have curry powder, but do have chili pepper, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, and coriander). Then, stir in 1/4 c greek full fat yogurt and some lemon.
To the onions in the pot, add dates, orange, slivered toasted almonds, and more cardamom, salt, and pepper. Remove to a separate bowl.
Add more butter/oil to pot on med high. When hot, press in 1/2 rice to bottom and up part of sides to sizzle. Put onion mixture in the well. Press the rest of the rice down firmly on top. Sprinkle with water.
Cover with tight lid wrapped in cloth. Turn heat down for 30+ minutes, until bottom is toasty but not burnt. Remove from heat and let sit 5 min.
Serve with more yogurt and lemon.
posted by daisyace at 7:12 AM on January 26, 2021

This salmon and lentils with mustard-herb butter is an all-time favorite of mine. It does say to use French green lentils, but 80% of the time I use whatever ones I have on hand and it's still outstanding.
posted by CheeseLouise at 7:14 AM on January 26, 2021

Monastery lentils
posted by bq at 8:06 AM on January 26, 2021

Soak them overnight and puree to a thick batter in the next day to make flatbreads.you can add sugar to make them pancake like, or herbs and salt for savory ones.

If you like Indian food, dal is a great way to prepare lentils.
posted by ananci at 8:23 AM on January 26, 2021

What we had last night for dinner:

Cheesy Mustard Lentils

Cook green/brown lentils. Drain, but do not rinse - you want them warm. Add cheese, preferably cheddar. Add mustard, any kind but honey. Eat.

Optionally, serve with rice or toast.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 8:38 AM on January 26, 2021 [3 favorites]

My mother used to make a loose soup with water or stock, brown or green lentils, a TON of garlic, some crushed tomatoes or escarole. She'd serve it with thick pasta or, occasionally, lasagna noodles that she'd boil and then tear into 2" pieces.
posted by gauche at 9:37 AM on January 26, 2021

Mercimek - Turkish red lentil soup.
posted by essexjan at 10:11 AM on January 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

Lentils cook pretty fast, and are delicious with butter, salt, pepper. Good easy meal.
posted by theora55 at 10:18 AM on January 26, 2021

Mark Bittman has a good recipe for lentils, onion, and carrot braised with paprika. I sometimes add diced bacon, but if you use smoked Spanish paprika, it's fine as a vegetarian or vegan dish.

Lentil Waldorf salad is good, too.
posted by brianogilvie at 10:59 AM on January 26, 2021

One of my favorite soups is this Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup recipe from Oh She Glows. The recipe calls for red lentils, but you can probably use other types of lentils (you might have to adjust the cooking times). The recipe is good as it stands, but it's also amenable to modifications in the flavorings/spices that you use.
posted by alex1965 at 11:05 AM on January 26, 2021

Nthing any of the Subcontinent recipes for lentils, especially red lentils, that's my usual go to. However, we do like this recipe from Joe Beef in Montreal which prepares red lentils as you do for baked beans. We eat it on its own but it could work as a side dish. For green lentils, particularly Puy style lentils, I usually go for a lentil salad (such as the walnut & celery one on this trio).
posted by Ashwagandha at 12:16 PM on January 26, 2021

My favourite is Lentil and vegetable cottage pie.
posted by Kris10_b at 1:12 PM on January 26, 2021

I make this magenta mash as a dip. Got it from Shiso Delicious’s bento recipe book.

My family also enjoys this recipe: Kale-Lentil Curry.
posted by saltypup at 3:11 PM on January 26, 2021

Budget Bytes has some good ones. Recently we've done Curried Lentils and Vegan Winter Lentil Stew with great success. Here's a more flexible approach. But my favorite, if you have the red lentils and a slow cooker, is Crockpot Sweet Potato Lentils.
posted by TayBridge at 3:26 PM on January 26, 2021 [1 favorite]

I'm pretty sure I got the link for this very tasty lentil/yogurt/basil/spinach salad recipe here on the Green. It's a little fussy as written but it's easy to simplify and make substitutions.
posted by doift at 5:42 PM on January 26, 2021

If you're feeling lazy, lentils + manwich (do NOT buy the store brand) make pretty darn good sloppy joes.
posted by Ms Vegetable at 11:11 AM on March 27, 2021