5 Best Gateway Lentil Recipes for Skeptics and Rookies

Do you love lentils? Be honest. Some people really enjoy them and cook with them often! Others are less familiar, or not a huge fan.

I just googled ‘Do people like lentils?’ and the first article that came up was titled “Lentils are the Worst.” A reddit forum came up as the second result, with the title: “Question for lentil lovers: Why?” I think it’s safe to say that lentils are, at the very least, a tad controversial.

To be honest, the texture of lentils has been an acquired taste for me. I can’t just cook the lentils in boiling water and add salt or something. With the right flavor combinations, though, I’ve come to really enjoy cooking with lentils.

Here’s what I love about lentils:

They are so cheap. Dirt cheap. Especially if you buy them dry. They are also a great plant-based protein for Meatless Mondays, or if you’re feeding a vegetarian, etc.

There are a lot of varieties you can buy within the Lentil Family: red & yellow lentils (softer), brown & green lentils (hold up their shape better), black lentils, and more. You can buy them canned or dry. Although I will 10/10x buy beans that are canned, I actually prefer to buy lentils dry. I think they pull in lots of flavor as you cook them in the spices/broth/etc.

photos courtesy of Tyler Nix & Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash

I first grew to love lentils when we lived in Seattle (kidless! forever ago!). A few of the families I knew made authentic Dal (lentil curry & rice) and it was a game-changer for me. Ever since then, I’ve been on the hunt for how to successfully use lentils in my own kitchen. There have been some hits and some misses on this journey. Today I’m sharing 5 Lentil Recipes that I love and make pretty regularly in our home.

Wherever you are on your lentil-loving journey, I hope that if you try these recipes you will adore them!

There is no affiliation or partnership with any of these food bloggers. Just sharing recipes we have loved!

1. Best Lentil Soup by Cookie & Kate

The glorious thing about this recipe is that the ingredient list is SO HUMBLE. It’s like carrots and onions and broth and canned tomatoes. I almost always have what I need in my pantry or refrigerator. The flavor is surprisingly amazing. The recipe suggests to blend half of it towards the end for a different texture, but I don’t normally do that (lazy). If I don’t have kale on hand, I skip it. Or do spinach. DO NOT skip the lemon juice though (squeeze bottle is fine). And properly salt this baby.

My five year old ate his whole bowl of this lentil soup at dinner this week, and my husband (not a soup guy) speaks highly of it, too. I serve it with crusty bread of some kind.

Don’t take my word for it, though- there are 4700+ comments on this recipe! for lentil soup.

2. Banana Lentil Muffins by The Lean Green Bean.

This combo initially sounds a little strange, right? I first heard of lentil muffins when Kids Eat in Color had an instagram story referring to them. So I googled a recipe and have been using the one by Lean Green Bean ever since!

I’m not a mom that “sneaks in nutritious food”… but I’m all for openly adding less-familiar ingredients (lentils) to more approachable types of foods (muffins) in order to increase positive experiences & exposure!

You blend up the cooked lentils (we’ve used an immersion blender in a pinch, or a standard blender works too). The consistency will be somewhat different than a typical muffin…but not in a bad way! These feel hearty for breakfast or a snack, and keep us full for awhile. I do recommend adding chocolate.

This is actually a situation where I’d suggest buying the canned green lentils to save time.

3. Red Curry Lentils by Pinch of Yum

Not to be confused with: Red Lentil Curry. 😉 Green or brown lentils are recommended here. The name comes from the red curry paste you add.

Oh I love these lentils. They are flavorful and rich. They are best when served with warm rice.

These lentils are fantastic the night you make them, and equally delicious as leftovers later on in the week. There is a bit of investment in making sure you have the proper spices. If you’re a fan of Indian food, you may have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already at home.

Add a bit less of the curry paste & omit the cayenne in order to keep spice levels reasonable for kiddos or sensitive mouths.

October 2022 Update!

As I was enjoying our dinner last night, I realized that this article doesn’t include a few recipes we use regularly that I’ve grown very fond of! So I’m rectifying that immediately:

4. Vegan Sloppy Joes by Minimalist Baker

This recipe is a variation on traditional sloppy Joes– you know, those classic cafeteria style messy meat sandwiches on buns? This version is satisfying and flavorful and filling.

We love to pair them with toasted & buttered potato buns. If you don’t have coconut sugar you can use brown sugar instead…and sometimes I add celery in when I saute the onions. If you are fond of standard sloppy Joes, I have a feeling you’ll enjoy these too!

5. Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils & Marinara Sauce by Cookie and Kate

This is another fabulous gateway recipe because it takes flavors that everyone and their dog will already be familiar with. She just swaps out the ground meat for chunky (cheap! healthy!) lentils!

I use any pasta sauce we have on hand for this, or just whip up a quick makeshift out of canned tomato sauce + garlic salt and Italian seasonings.

Although I normally love fresh shredded parmesan, for some reason I love to top my lentils+ red sauce + pasta with the really finely grated parmesan that comes in those green shakers. I think it adds a bit of extra salty flavor??

That’s a Wrap

That wraps up our 5 Favorite Lentil Recipes.

Share your thoughts if you give them a try.

Be sure to also add any of YOUR favorite lentil recipes in the comments below!

Here are some of our other food articles you may enjoy:

6 EASY MAKE-AHEAD BREAKFASTS (THAT MY KIDS LOVE!)

OVERCOME LUNCH FATIGUE WITH KIDS: 5 TIPS + FREE PRINTABLE CHART

HOW TO USE FLAX SEEDS: A QUICK GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

FANTASTIC BANANA RECIPES: CATEGORIZED BY RIPENESS + A FREE VISUAL GUIDE

Cover Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay