Why We Love Lentils (and you should too)

Sharing mediterranean diet inspired recipes and the health benefits of lentils, including cooking tips and nutrition information.

Note – This post was originally published on this blog in 2016, but has been updated and republished.

Getting Excited for Lentils

Let’s face it, lentils don’t really make anyone jump up and down and yell “hooray for lentils”.

Now you might be asking yourself if there are any foods that really do make you jump and yell? If you’re asking yourself this question, you’ve never been at our house on pizza night. Pizza makes us wanna jump, jump (where my 90’s teens at?).

In all honesty, lentils are just not an exciting food. They are like the beige mini van of foods, kinda plain but super functional. However, we’ve been eating them for years and have found that they actually are pretty darn awesome.

The Flavor of Lentils

You definitely have to jazz them up. I don’t know many people that can just eat a bowl full of plain old lentils.  The great thing about these little legumes though is that they are so versatile that you can use them in a variety of dishes. Some great uses include:

• Steamed with a poached egg on top
• Adding to salads for lunch
• Served on toast with tomato bruscshetta
• Mixed with caramelized onions
• Added to soups and stews

Health Benefits of Lentils

These babies pack a lot of punch. They are low in calorie, low in fat, low in sodium, high in protein and high in dietary fiber. This makes them great for your heart health and blood sugar regulation.

Making lentils part of a healthy diet can help –

• Decrease in cholesterol levels due to the high fiber content
• Low Glycemic Index and high fiber content can help regulate blood sugar levels for those with diabetes
• Good source of folate, which is important for women who are pregnant or thinking of trying to become pregnant
• Good source of iron
• Source of potassium, which can help with blood pressure and heart health

How to Cook Lentils

Lentils are a part of the legume family. There are a few different types of lentils and each one is a little bit different.

Since they aren’t beans, you don’t have to pre-soak them before cooking. Dried lentils are quick cooking and take about 15-20 minutes to prepare.

Tips for Cooking Lentils

• If using dried lentils, rinse them under water to remove any debris
• Cook on the stove, using a ratio of 3 cups of liquid (water, broth) for every 1 cup lentils
• Bring to a boil, cover and them simmer for 15-20 minutes (until tender but not mushy)
• If using red split lentils, they only need to cook for 6-10 minutes
• Pre-cooked lentils can be eaten cold or steamed for a few minutes in the microwave
• Canned lentils should be rinsed before use
• If adding salt, don’t add until after the lentils have cooked. The lentils can become mushy if added while cooking

My Favorite Lentil Recipes

• Lentils with Curry & Caramelized Onions (recipe below)
• Lentil Salad with Cucumber from Downshiftology
• French Lentil Stew with Mushrooms & Spinach
• 25 Recipes Using Beans & Lentils

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Lentils with Curry and Caramelized Onions

Steamed lentils combined with caramelized onions and seasoned with curry.

Course lentils, Side Dish, vegetarian

Cuisine Mediterranean

Keyword lentils, mediterranean diet, vegetarian side dish

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 cups

Author Brynn at The Domestic Dietitian

Ingredients

• 3 cups pre-cooked lentils
• 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large pan over the stove on medium heat
• Add curry powder and stir to combine with olive oil
• Add sliced onion and season with salt and pepper
• Reduce heat to medium low and saute onion until caramelzied, about 20 minutes
• While onion is cooking, prepare lentils
• For precooked lentils – steam in microwave for about 2-3 minutes, until warmed through
• If using dried lentils, prepare according to package
• Once cooked, add caramelized onions to a large bowl and stir in lentils