Herby Spinach Lentil Stew with Broccoli Steaks and Spelt Flatbreads | Rebel Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What do lentils go well with? ›

If you have a few root vegetables hanging out in your fridge, those are also great with lentils, like in this warm lentil and root vegetable salad with parsnips and carrots. Lentils are particularly nice with cheese, as in this grilled halloumi and lentil salad.

Puy lentils, or lentilles du Puy, are French lentils that have been grown in the Puy region of central France. The variety is the same, but since they are grown in this distinct place (which has volcanic soil) the taste is slightly different — it's even more peppery and flinty.

Support your digestive system

Lentils are rich in a type of fiber that helps your digestive system work as it should and fuels good bacteria in your gut. Fiber may also help reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. “Fiber plays an important role in regulating our bowels and protecting the immune system,” says Homan.

I toss them with lemon juice, Dijon mustard, fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes to make a nutritious side dish or base for plant-based bowls.

Lentils are an excellent source of plant-based kidney friendly protein, rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber. Whether used in a soup, salad, or main dish, lentils are a hearty, healthy addition to any meal. Buy lentils in dried, canned, or frozen forms.

The other good news: Lentils don't need to soak as beans do (though you do need to sort and rinse them before cooking). Different types of lentils cook in different amounts of time. Red lentils are the fastest cooking and they dissolve as they cook and make for a smooth soup.

Do you cook lentils before adding to soup? Nope! Dried lentils cook in 35 minutes in the soup, and there's no need to soak them either!

Black Lentils (Beluga lentils)

Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.

brown lentils

It's the favorite that everyone loves and uses most. Brown lentils are bigger than other lentil types, hold their shape well during cooking, and provide a nutty, earthy flavor.

Black lentils, also known as beluga lentils, are larger in size and have a firm texture. They hold their shape well when cooked and have a slightly nutty flavor. They are often used in salads, side dishes, and as a meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan dishes.

What protein pairs with lentils? ›

Grains Grains, such as rice, oats, wheat, rye and corn, can act as complementary proteins for legumes such as lentils. They contain the cysteine and methionine that lentils lack, and lentils provide the lysine that grains do not contain enough of.

Create savoury and healthy vegetarian meals with red, green and brown canned lentils – we use them in burgers, soups, salads, curries, casseroles and pies.

Red lentils combined with rice make for a hearty meal filled with fat-burning fiber, protein, sweet and spicy veggies, and warming spices.

Highly nutritious. Lentils are often overlooked, even though they're an inexpensive way of getting a wide variety of nutrients. For example, they're packed with B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. Lentils are made up of more than 25% protein, which makes them an excellent meat alternative.