I just discovered lentils and I like them! What can I do with them?

[MamitaM]

Even though I've been a vegetarian for years I've never really tried lentils and beans much. Tonight I was going to make a chili, then decided to make a filling for quesadillas or burritos, I was going to use kidney beans, but didn't have any so I used a can of green lentils. OMG it was so yummy! I've only ever used them once before when I tossed them into a can of tomato soup. I can't believe that I've missed out on the yummy cheap lentils all these years. What else can I do with them? Can I use them in most places I'd use ground beef?

[askew]

Two of my favorites:

http://www.plantfoodfabulous.com/2010/10/lentil-shepherds-pie.html

http://www.plantfoodfabulous.com/2010/10/lentils-and-quinoa-with-roasted.html

I also love making a soup with them. Just put in carrots and celery and any other vegetable you have around. Some spices, super easy and super yummy. We eat lentils all the time. There are a lot of different kinds too. Beluga lentils are awesome! 

[Caryliz]

We looooove lentils in our house, too! I realize that most of our favorite recipes feature lentils as themselves (e.g. not as filler in something else).

Agree with PP that lentil soup is the easiest in the world. My basic recipe is 6 cups of water to 1 pound of lentils. Add a couple of chopped carrots, a stalk of celery, one small onion, (both chopped) and a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes in juice (or equivalent fresh tomatoes if you have them) and cook until lentils are tender. Add s+p to taste. A handful of chopped parsley if you have it is nice, too. Or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Another favorite of ours is Mujaddara (there are a million ways to spell that, i think), which is a middle eastern rice and lentil dish with lots of fried onions on top. We used to get it as takeout all the time when we lived near a middle eastern neighborhood in Brooklyn, and since moving to the country have had to figure it out on our own in order to get our fix! It's simple, but way more than the sum of its parts. Here is one version we really like, from the Herbivoracious blog:

http://www.herbivoracious.com/2007/10/recipe-mujadara.html

Finally, lentils braised in red wine is a really earthy yet decadent meal. Add some crusty bread and a salad of mixed greens with vinaigrette and...YUM you are in France!!! You can use any kind of lentil, of course, but if you can get the tiny indigo lentils, they are beautiful as they hold their shape so well when cooking. There are a million versions I bet but here's one good one:

http://www.elliemay.com/beansandgrains/FrenchLentilsInRedWine.html

[carrierwright]

I like to cook lentils along w/black beans until very soft, mix (in blender or w/fork) and grill on the stove for burgers or flatbread sandwiches. Lots of veggies and onions piled on top!

[kismetbaby]

What can't you do with lentils!  Seriously. I love them. They cook fast and yes, they can replace ground beef in dishes.   You should search the archives, b/c I know there are some long threads from years past with tons of lentil ideas. One of the popular ones is using lentils to make sloppy joes.  

Another thing I do with lentils (besides the good ideas already mentioned) is cook 1 cup lentils (green or brown) then toss them with 1 clove crushed garlic, a few chopped green onions, a handful of chopped parsley, and some lemon juice, salt, and olive oil. So good. I usually eat it on top of green salad.  

Red or yellow lentils are great for Indian inspired dal like this: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11114?section=

[MamitaM]

Wow! So many great ideas to try! Thank you everyone! I have no lentils in the house at all right now, but will stock up on them next time I shop. I think I'll get "real" ones rather then canned ones as well.

[ssh]

I love the flavor of lentils with lots of fresh basil.

[WorldsBestMom]

Lentils as your barbecue beans. Here is another recipe idea. Check this out. http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv294.htm

[mama*pisces]

Add tomato soup, chopped onion and green pepper for lentil sloppy joes -- they do work great as baked beans too.   This is one of my favorite recipes(super easy too), although I rarely make them b/c it makes a TON and nobody else here really eats them.

This one rocks too - a lot of prep time though, but it's seriously amazing. Even my meat-loving husband helped himself to seconds! Ha.

[FitMOmmyOf2]

Subbing to this thread!

I have a ton of lentil recipes somewhere on my pc, I'll post them once I found them!

[yogachick79]

Also subbing, but wanted to say that I have an amazing recipe for crockpot sloppy lentils. Not sure if I can legally post it here, but you could always PM me if you want it. :) Lentils are the BEST!

[AnaB]

I discovered lentils only about a year ago at the recommendation of our holistic pediatrician (when our baby started solids). We've loved them ever since! Except hubby. We eat them just cooked and seasoned as a side, or mixed with something. As a matter of fact today I had to make something pureed for my two year old because she fell and hurt her teeth, it hurts for her to chew. I pureed steamed carrots with lentils and half a banana. we gobbled it up, it was so good! The only problem, it didn't look appetizing at all, try to imagine for a minute the color of lentils and carrots pured!  

[Caryliz]

Originally Posted by AnaB 

I discovered lentils only about a year ago at the recommendation of our holistic pediatrician (when our baby started solids). We've loved them ever since! Except hubby. We eat them just cooked and seasoned as a side, or mixed with something. As a matter of fact today I had to make something pureed for my two year old because she fell and hurt her teeth, it hurts for her to chew. I pureed steamed carrots with lentils and half a banana. we gobbled it up, it was so good! The only problem, it didn't look appetizing at all, try to imagine for a minute the color of lentils and carrots pured!  

Um, you know, I can just picture that! LOL. So in our house this is where I would scrape it into a pretty bowl, scatter some chopped parsley on top, serve it with toasted pita wedges and call it bean dip

[*bejeweled*]

I love lentils too!

[Thalia the Muse]

They really are yummy! In addition to soups, stews, and chili, they're really good in pasta sauces. Lentils, white wine, olive oil, and lots of well-sauteed onion and garlic, plus there are a million variations with different spices, olives, etc.

There's a classic French dish in which a pan-seared salmon fillet is served on a bed of lentils that have been cooked with aromatics.

[DevaMajka]

Lentil Soup for People Who Thought They Hated Lentils

Yummy! You can change up the ingredients a bit, but I love it as written.

[Ms. Sisko]

http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=10503.0 - one of my favorite comfort food recipes. Lentils and potatoes used as the base for a vegan sloppy joe mix. I eat in on a bun.

[giraffee]

Bumping this thread in hopes that someone will share more awesome recipes.

[chaoticzenmom]

I make lentil sloppy joes from Veganomicon.  I also use them in tacos instead of hamb. meat.  I make a lentil curry stew to put over mashed potatoes (saute a chopped onion in olive oil..chopped carrots as well if you like, then add curry powder to the onions and mix, then add stewed tomatoes (I like the roasted ones) and add lentils and veggie broth.  Let this cook for a couple of hours and then serve over mashed potatoes. You can make a french lentil salad.

Another lentil dish I like is African lentil sweet potato soup.