29 Creative Lentil Recipes That Go Way Beyond Soup
While we love cooking with beans, we urge you not to sleep on their equally delicious, high-protein cousins: lentils. This collection of lentil recipes will show you how approachable and versatile these legumes—which are also easy on the wallet—really are. Make one big batch of marinated lentils, for example, and you’ll have meals for a week: Fry them and use them as the base for a pseudo grain bowl on Monday, simmer them into soup on Tuesday, pack them into a lentil burger on Wednesday, make a quick dal on Thursday, transform them into pasta sauce on Friday, and if you have some left, level up your salad game over the weekend. See the endless possibilities for yourself by scrolling through our favorite lentil recipes below.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Sue Li, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski1/29Loaded Sweet Potatoes
This lentil recipe calls for black lentils, which some call the caviar of legumes. (They even look like caviar once they're cooked, which is why they're also called beluga lentils.) Reasons to love them: They only need to be boiled for 20 minutes until they’re tender yet toothsome, they've got a thick skin that helps them hold their shape better than green or red lentils, and they keep in the fridge for days.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Taneka Morris, Prop Styling by Tim Ferro2/29Just-Keeps-Getting-Better Lentil Salad
What can you make on Sunday night that will taste great for lunch on Wednesday? This nutrient-rich salad. Just liven it up with an extra hit of lemon juice.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Kat Boytsova5/29Marinated Lentils With Lemony Broccolini and Feta
One of our best lentil recipes, this healthy, hearty dish can be a warm vegetarian main or a cold lunch left to marinate in the fridge overnight. The spiced oil is even better the next day.
Photo by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Pearl Jones, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman7/29Kimchi-Lentil Stew With Poached Eggs
This is a one-pot lentil soup recipe that you could easily eat with a fork and a hunk of crusty bread if you want to. She's hearty.
Photograph by Yudi Ela, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Aneta Florczyk9/29Grilled Cauliflower and Broccoli With Lentils
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li10/29Zucchini-Lentil Fritters With Lemony Yogurt
These crispy zucchini fritters take inspiration from the traditional Bengali snacks called piyaju. Soaked and blended red lentils make up the batter, which you'll spike with turmeric and chile powder.
Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton13/29Big Green Lentil Salad
A question we're often asked is, "What makes lentils taste better?" We happen to like their flavor, but for those who don't, this lentil recipe offers a tasty solution with its sauce of Greek yogurt, garlic, turmeric, and black pepper.
Alex Lau14/29Quinoa Bowl With Lentils and Mustard Vinaigrette
Yes, you can cook lentils and quinoa together. Total time simmering in a large saucepan: 20 minutes. In this recipe, they provide the base for a hearty salad, of sorts, but they could also work as the protein in lentil tacos.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Kalen Kaminski15/29Black Lentil and Harissa-Roasted Veggie Bowl
Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Pearl Jones16/29Lemony Lentils and Rice With Caramelized Onions
Inspired by mujadara, a simple combination of lentils, rice, and onions that exists in various forms across the Middle East, this lentil recipe is comforting but not too rich. Serve as a main or a side.
Photograph by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by D'Myrtrek Brown17/29Pasta With Lentils and Mushrooms
Why boil pasta then toss it with sauce when you could cook it directly in the sauce? In this recipe, as the noodles cook, they absorb the tomato-rich broth while releasing the starches that eventually form a creamy sauce. Genius.
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski19/29Lentil Niçoise Salad
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich20/29Lentil-Smothered Greens on Fried Bread
A little smoked paprika (1½ teaspoons) and a lot of garlic (11 cloves) make this weeknight dinner sing. Use any hardy greens you have: spinach, kale, or Swiss chard.
ALex Lau21/29Confetti Lentils
These fast-cooking legumes, high in protein and fiber, pair delightfully with sockeye salmon. We could also see them as one component of a vegetarian Shepherd's Pie. Couldn't you? Sauté mushrooms, leeks, and carrots; bind them together with tomato paste; layer that mixture on top of the lentils and some cooked peas; then top it all with mashed potatoes.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio22/29Chicken-Lentil Soup With Jammy Onions
Peden + Munk23/29Lentils with Cucumbers, Chard, and Poached Egg
Calling all savory breakfast people: This lentil recipe is for you. Black or green lentils (or even chickpeas) mixed with scallions, dill, and lemon zest provide the base, which gets topped with sautéed Swiss chard, crunchy cucumbers, and a poached egg. Good morning, indeed.
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou24/29Marinated Lentils With Crunchy Vegetables
We don't really need to do much to advertise this lentil recipe; just read the comments. Or read the ingredient list: beluga lentils, coriander and cumin seeds, sherry vinegar and olive oil, radishes, scallions, parsley, celery. Sold yet?
Photo by Heidi's Bridge, styling by Molly Baz26/29Vegan Coconut Lentil Soup
Never has such a flavorful, hearty, and warming meal come together so quickly, using so many pantry staples. We love it with a dollop of yogurt on top, but feel free to omit or use a non-dairy yogurt to keep it vegan.
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Adriana Paschen, Prop Styling by Elizabeth Jaime28/29Beluga Lentil and Root Vegetable Slaw
Any crunchy vegetable or fruit can work in this colorful slaw. Try fennel, small turnips, or Asian pear, shaved or cut into matchsticks.
Photograph by Julian Cousins, Food styling by Adriana Paschen29/29Dal Palak
Our final lentil recipe calls for red lentils, or masoor dal, which are a weeknight superstar: They're budget-friendly and their cook time is about 30 minutes. (As a mom of two, a cookbook author, and the founder of the small-batch Indian condiment company Brooklyn Delhi, Chitra Agrawal, who wrote this recipe, knows a thing or two about quick and easy dinners.) Serve this spinach-packed dal palak with steamed rice or naan and you're good to go.
