Cook Your Meatless Monday Dinner on the Cheap With These 15 Lentil Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can lentils replace meat? ›

VeryMeaty notes that lentils can be substituted any time you would use ground beef or turkey in a recipe. 1 cup of uncooked lentils is equal to approximately 1 pound of ground beef. Lentils are a great option when making vegetarian meatballs or hamburger patties because of their texture.

Lentil soup: You can substitute black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans for the lentils in lentil soup. Lentil stew: You can substitute chickpeas, black beans, or kidney beans for the lentils in lentil stew. Lentil salad: You can substitute black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans for the lentils in lentil salad.

Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. For whole lentils, cook time is typically 15-20 minutes. For split red lentils, cook time is typically only about 5-7 minutes. Be sure to season with salt after cooking – if salt is added before, the lentils will become tough.

To get the most out of a vegetarian diet, choose a variety of healthy plant-based foods. These include whole fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Nuts and legumes, such as lentils, beans and peanuts, also are considered healthy plant-based foods. At the same time, cut back on less healthy choices.

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.

The technique is simple: Treat your lentils with the same care you would minced meat. Sauté them in your cooking oil of choice for a few minutes over medium heat (usually extra virgin olive oil for us), season them with your spices, and add two cups of liquid for every cup of lentils (ideally vegetable stock).

The best lentils to use as a beef substitute are brown and green, as they have a milder flavor than red lentils, which means they are more willing to soak up different flavors and adapt to being used as a substitute.

Beans, peas, and lentils (also known as “pulses”) include the dried seeds that can be eaten of legumes and are a MyPlate vegetable subgroup. Legume is the scientific term that describes a type of plant that includes pods.

If you happen to run out of the legume when making a hearty lentil soup, split peas are the next best thing. With both lentils and split peas coming from the legume family, they can be used almost interchangeably. Although they look alike, they're grown and cultivated in different ways.

Which lentil beans are the healthiest? ›

Urad dal or black lentil is one of the most nutritious pulses known to mankind. Low in fat and calories, Urad dal helps to improve digestion. With it being a rich source of protein and vitamin B3, it makes our bones stronger and is said to boost energy levels, enhance heart health and strengthen our nervous system.

The process of soaking removes the gas-causing elements from the lentils. While legumes contain complex oligosaccharides, a type of complex sugar responsible for bloating and gas. Post-soaking the complex sugar is remarkably reduced thereby easing gas troubles.

Allow about 1/4 cup or 2 ounces (60 g (2 oz) of uncooked lentils per person/serving. Cooking instructions vary depending on the type, so just see the package you're using for guidance.

As a general rule, one cup of dried lentils yields two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils. Because of their rather delicate, earthy flavor, lentils work well in a variety of dishes and in almost any type of cuisine. The best time to add flavor to lentils is during the cooking process.

High-protein vegetarian foods include beans, nuts, seeds, lentils, eggs, dairy products, and soy foods (such as tempeh, tofu, and edamame). Opting for complex carbs. These fullness-boosting foods include whole grains, starchy vegetables, fruits, and legumes.