Low in calories and high in nutrition, lentils are a plant protein that’s pretty darn perfect—and they’re budget friendly too! Luckily, they also have that most important final element that’s necessary for any food: they’re delicious. Here at A Couple Cooks we’re a married pair of cookbook authors who have been writing recipes for over 15 years. Here’s what we’ve found: Prepared correctly, lentils can be one of the best ingredients for a healthy, satisfying, economical, and delicious meal. So what are you waiting for? Here are our top lentil recipes, from soup to nachos!
Types of lentils
Before we start, here’s a quick primer on lentil types! We long loved this legume as an economical and delicious superfood (here are some documented benefits of lentils per the National Institutes of Health). Make sure to use the type the recipe specifies, because they have different flavors, shapes, cook times. Here are a few of the most popular types of lentils:
Brown & green lentils: Brown and green lentils are the most “standard” varieties when you think of lentils. They cook quickly (in 20 to 30 minutes), and tend to fall apart when cooked instead of hold their shape. This makes them ideal for soups and curries. Red lentils: Red lentils are bright orange in color and most commonly found in Indian curry dishes like daal. They take about 20 minutes to cook and break down quickly into a uniform texture., French lentils (also called Puy lentils): French lentils hold their shape when cooked, making them different from brown, green and red lentils. These small and greenish-gray lentils are great for salads or stuffing into vegetables like sweet potatoes. Black lentils (Beluga lentils): Black lentils are extremely flavorful. They’re very small and dark, like a combination of French lentils and brown lentils. They’ll hold their shape when cooked which works for salads, but when cooked longer they fall apart like in curries and soups.
And now, our top lentil recipes!
Here is a list of the top lentil recipes from this website that we make over and over again, along with a few tasty ideas from some of our other favorite recipe websites. ⭐ Our best lentil recipe? Try this 7 ingredient lentil soup: it’s a fan favorite!
More legume recipes
Lentils are legumes, or members of the bean family. There are seven different types of legumes: lentils, peas, broad beans, chickpeas, soybeans, beans, and peanuts. Legumes are full of protein and fiber, making them a great healthy choice for meals. Here are a few more recipes with legumes:
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