Lentils

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bribrijean234
bribrijean234 Posts: 90 Member
in Recipes
Looking for some good preferably low sodium lentil recipes. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Also, out of curiosity, is there a difference in flavor between red and green lentils?
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  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
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    I prefer red lentils, just personal preference. Here's my favorite recipe:

    lentils boiled in water, carrots, celery, add bouillon cube, bay leaf, cumin, turmeric, curry, cayenne pepper (skip if you want), as much or little salt as you want

    after about 20 minutes, add any additional water/cream/milk/yogurt to whatever consistency/thickness you prefer, and take out the bay leaf

    then you can either leave it as is or use a hand blender to puree into blended soup (I prefer blended)

    the beauty of this recipe is it is very customizable! enjoy!
  • bribrijean234
    bribrijean234 Posts: 90 Member
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    That sounds fantastic! Thanks!
  • timetravelforfitness
    timetravelforfitness Posts: 242 Member
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    I know this is an old post, but if you put one cup of lentils, one cup of brown rice, one cup frozen or fresh veg into a rice cooker with 5 cups water, in about 45 minutes you have delicious, buttery lentils. My kids like to add a touch of salt, but I find that as long as they're cooked enough to be "muddy" they don't need it. And reheating them just makes them better. Or adding cheezy or salty crackers, if they won't make you go over your sodium intake.
  • Tanteee
    Tanteee Posts: 80 Member
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    I know this is an old post, but if you put one cup of lentils, one cup of brown rice, one cup frozen or fresh veg into a rice cooker with 5 cups water, in about 45 minutes you have delicious, buttery lentils. My kids like to add a touch of salt, but I find that as long as they're cooked enough to be "muddy" they don't need it. And reheating them just makes them better. Or adding cheezy or salty crackers, if they won't make you go over your sodium intake.
    Hi, what type of lentils do you use for this?
  • fattybumclaire
    fattybumclaire Posts: 91 Member
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    I love puy lentils - I cook 100g of them for 30 minutes in vegetable stock (you can use low sodium cube if you want) then drain and mix with chopped coriander, chopped sundried tomatoes and a tablespoon of cider vinegar. Then halve a butternut squash, scoop out the seeds and slowly roast until soft. Stuff the puy lentils in the cavity and drizzle with balsamic glaze :) Serve with a big old side salad - delicious and very filling.

    I used to also stir in a feta cheese cubes but I am aiming to be dairy free so just miss these out now.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,741 Member
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    My husband makes awesome pink lentils with just tons of spices. But yesterday I made a pretty darn delicious winter lentil soup with sweet potato. Recipe here:

    http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/winter-lentil-soup-10000001151425/


    I didn't have leeks or canned tomatoes on hand so used 1/2 a red onion and an 8 oz can of no salt added tomato sauce, and it worked beautifully.

    We also omitted the salt and used dried spices instead of fresh, and added more random things from the cabinet (cumin, paprika). But the recipe is a great place to start.
  • bribrijean234
    bribrijean234 Posts: 90 Member
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    Thanks Everyone! I have two big containers of lentils - one green, one red... so the more recipes the better to experiment with : )
    seltzermint - that winter soup sounds REALLY good... like the idea of putting sweet potato with it!
  • chocolateandbutterscotch
    chocolateandbutterscotch Posts: 99 Member
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    Here is a link for a red lentil coconut curry soup. It is vegetarian and very good/

    http://www.scalingbackblog.com/savory-bites/16117996741/
  • lolosensan
    lolosensan Posts: 251
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    Here's a recipe for Mejadra. It can be put on any kind of rice but I think basmati goes best with the flavors. Also you're supposed to put fried onions on top but I think it's just as good with caramelized or just sautéed onions :drinker:

    http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/oct/09/mejadra-recipe-yotam-ottolenghi
  • mandy4matt1996
    mandy4matt1996 Posts: 6 Member
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    I love seeing all the recipes for lentils! I have eaten them every day for quite some time. I cook them ahead of time, store them in the fridge, and scoop them out by the cup for my lunch. I am new to this forum, but have lost over 120 pounds by changing my life style. I joined this site to help me lose that last 10...that is just so hard. My favorite way to cook them is just to boil them as a soup with different seasonings each time. I've used garlic powder, chicken bouillon, fresh salsa, paprika, and this week I even threw in some fresh asparagus. After I reheat them I always throw in some fresh chopped raw onion..sometimes tomato too.
  • timetravelforfitness
    timetravelforfitness Posts: 242 Member
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    Tantee, I actually just use any. Red and green lentils are what my store usually carries for really cheap, but I picked up a box of some sort of fancy-pants lentils a few weeks ago and it worked fine. I've started putting sunflower seeds in after cooking it for crunch.
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Bump, because I like them, particularly in Indian food, but have never cooked them.
  • seasonsanna
    seasonsanna Posts: 53
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    I make this every week! its SO yum! sometimes I add chicken/turkey sometimes I don't.

    Cook Time: 40 minutes

    Total Time: 40 minutes

    Ingredients:
    •2 tsp canola oil
    •1 large onion, finely chopped (About 2 cups)
    •2 medium carrots, diced (1 1/2 cups)
    •1 large stalk celery, sliced (1 cup)
    •4 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
    •1 tablespoon curry powder
    •1 cup green lentils, picked through and rinsed
    •4 cups fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
    •1 14.5-ounce petite diced tomatoes
    •1 1/2 cups chopped cooked white-meat turkey

    Preparation:

    Heat oil on medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot. Sauté onion, carrots, celery and mushrooms until softened. Sprinkle curry powder and cook for 1 minute. Add lentils, followed by broth and canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until lentils are cooked. Stir in chopped turkey and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
    Serves 8

    Per Serving: Calories 188, Calories from Fat 24, Total Fat 2.5g (sat 0.4g), Cholesterol 18mg, Sodium 24.1g, Carbohydrate 24.1g, Fiber 10g, Protein 16.8g
  • neekosmith
    neekosmith Posts: 47 Member
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    I make this sweet potato & lentil soup at least once a week. Sooooo good!

    http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2013/01/vegan-sweet-potato-and-lentil-soup.html

    Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Calories: 123 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 16.2 g • Fiber: 4.1 g • Protein: 4 g
  • kim0518
    kim0518 Posts: 1 Member
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    I add much of the same stuff to my lentils as most recipes listed here, but I also like to add tomato powder (it is sold next to the beef/chicken bouillon). It adds a lot of flavor, and like bouillon, a little goes a long way. I don't add salt to anything, so this kind of adds flavor where most would add salt.
  • blytheandbonnie
    blytheandbonnie Posts: 3,275 Member
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    In for lentils.
  • MichelleMinus100
    MichelleMinus100 Posts: 101
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    This is just so cool! I've been wanting to replace my high fiber breakfast cereal with something other than wheat. So today I bought some brown lentils. I tossed in about 12oz of lentils in with a 32oz box of organic chicken stock from Costco. Brought to a boil and then simmered for 30 minutes. I can't believe how tasty they are! Can't wait to eat them for breakfast tomorrow morning maybe in an egg scramble. Go Lentils!

    Yay for your weight loss, mandy4matt1996!

    Thanks for the recipe, seasonsanna, I'm going to give it a try.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    my favourite lentil recipe (source: my mum)

    cook lentils in plenty of water in one pan

    in the other pan, fry chopped garlic, onions and other veg of your choice (e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, courgette, whatever you happen to like) in Patak's tikka masala paste (other patak's curry pastes go well, but tikka masala works best for this), when the onions are soft, add about 100ml tomato puree and add water to thin it out. You can add some vinegar with the water. If you want to use potatoes, parboil them first and add them now. If you want to use more delicate veggies like mushrooms, add them about 5-10 mins before you finish cooking. Sweetcorn goes really well with this.

    After the lentils are done, combine the lentils and the sauce, mix through. You need enough sauce to mix through with the lentils adequately. Serve in soup bowls with some bread (or not if you don't want to). You can add yoghurt on top.

    This recipe is vegan apart from the yoghurt (but you can get vegan yoghurts, right?) Personally I'm not veggie or vegan but this is a totally delicious recipe for meat eaters as well.
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    I make this sweet potato & lentil soup at least once a week. Sooooo good!

    http://www.eat-yourself-skinny.com/2013/01/vegan-sweet-potato-and-lentil-soup.html

    Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Calories: 123 • Fat: 4.6 g • Carbs: 16.2 g • Fiber: 4.1 g • Protein: 4 g

    Thanks! I'm making this right now for work lunches through the week.
  • epete6501
    epete6501 Posts: 4 Member
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    BBQ lentil loaves are one of my go to meals when I need something warm and filling.

    http://nutmegnotebook.com/2013/12/bbq-lentil-loaf-muffins-plant-basedvegan/

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