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Kelli Foster
Kelli FosterSenior Contributing Food Editor
Kelli is a Senior Contributing Food Editor for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, Plant-Based Buddha Bowls, The Probiotic Kitchen, Buddha Bowls, and Everyday Freekeh Meals. She lives in New Jersey.
updated Oct 20, 2020
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You probably have a bag (or two, or three) of lentils in your pantry. And — just guessing here — you may occasionally glance at it when considering what to make for dinner, before dismissing the idea — who has time for all that, right?
You do. Trust us. That humble bag of lentils — whether they’re brown or green or red — is not only easy to make, but it’s your ticket to a delicious, filling, and good-for-you dinner. Lentils are quick-cooking, packed with protein, and it doesn’t take a lot to turn them into a cheap, healthy, delicious meal. Here, to help you take the plunge, are 30 of our very best and most popular lentil recipes, from soups and salads to grain bowls, and even a one-pot pasta. Put these delicious little lens-shaped seeds on your menu tonight.
Lentil Cooking Basics
If you’re fairly new to cooking lentils, start here. These two basic methods teach you how easy it is to cook any variety.
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Stovetop Lentils
This step-by-step recipe teaches you have to prepare any kind of lentil simply on the stove.
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Lentils in an Electric Pressure Cooker
To quickly cook lentils, you'll want to reach for your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker.
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Lentil Salads
A salad filled with lentils and vegetables, that’s tossed in a flavor-packed dressing, is one of our favorite make-ahead meals. It’s the perfect thing to reach for when you need lunch during the week or a fast dinner.
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Warm Sesame Brussels Sprouts and Lentil Salad
Thin shavings of Brussels sprouts and nutty lentils are tossed in a creamy sesame dressing for an easy, no-wilt meal.
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Want something easy, healthy, and filling? Look no further than this lentil salad. It's full of crisp and colorful bell pepper and onions, with nutty toasted walnuts and fragrant herbs.
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Warm Bulgur and Lentil Salad with Roasted Shrimp
Whole-grain bulgur adds a nice chew to contrast with the earthy, creamy lentils in this satisfying recipe.
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Cold Lentil Salad with Cucumbers and Olives
Fresh mint and a splash of sherry vinegar lend brightness to this easy lentil salad.
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Thanksgiving Lentil Salad
Despite the name, this is a salad worth adding to your meal prep routine: It's delicious warm or cold. Soaked in a bright vinaigrette, the roasted veggies and lentils only get better with a day or two for the flavors to meld.
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Baked Red Lentil Falafel Salad
Lentils keep the falafel creamy on the inside, and not too grainy, as the usual chickpeas tend to do.
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Green lentils, or French lentils like the famous Puy variety, keep their shape when cooked and don’t dissolve into mush like others.
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Lentil Soups
When you think of lentils, it’s soup that probably first comes to mind. There really isn’t anything more homey and comforting than a big, steaming bowl.
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The Absolute Best Lentil Soup
Red lentils work best for this soup, as they cook quickly but not too quickly, and they break down a bit in the broth, adding to the soup’s creamy texture.
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Lemony Black Lentil Soup with Crispy Kale and Yogurt
This wholesome and hearty vegetarian lentil soup is both smoky and bright, which is thanks to cumin, coriander, and lots of lemon.
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Slow-Cooker Vegan Lentil Chili
The easiest slow cooker chili you'll ever make, thanks to the power of lentils. Dump everything in the slow cooker, walk away, then eat it up.
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Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
You only need a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients to make this hearty vegan soup.
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Sausage and Lentil Soup
The beautiful, mottled-green French lentils work best for this all-day slow cooker recipe. They hold their shape remarkably well and won't get mushy.
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Slow Cooker Easy Lentil Soup
Wholesome and satisfying, this vegetarian lentil soup is how to reboot after a season of overindulgence.
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Red Lentil Soup
This quick and easy recipe for lentil soup puts a hearty vegetarian dinner on the table in just about 30 minutes.
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Chicken Lentil Soup
This is extra comforting and freezes well — and if you sauté the vegetables in leftover bacon fat, as recommended, it has a deliciously smoky flavor.
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Dal, Curries, and Braises
Indian dal and curries are really when lentils are given their time to shine. The legume also takes wonderfully to being braised slowly on the stovetop.
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The Best Lentil Dal
Learn how to make lentil dal at home, complete with tempering oil to finish.
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Slow-Cooker Dal
You don't need to stand at the stove all day to have a big batch of warm, spiced dal. The low, steady heat of the slow cooker is perfect for getting lentils to just the right texture.
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Slow Cooker Coconut Lentil Curry
Between the fire-roasted tomatoes and the coconut milk, this curry has a rich, complex flavor that is hard to beat.
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Wild Rice Bowl with Red Lentil-Coconut Curry and Spinach
This bowl is made with hearty red lentils, fresh ginger, plenty of spices, a couple handfuls of baby spinach, and coconut milk — a perfect balance of heat and creaminess.
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Tomato-Braised Lentils with Broccoli Rabe
A splash of heavy cream makes this risotto-like dinner extra creamy and luxe.
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Braised Lentils and Leeks
This elegant vegetarian dish of braised leeks and lentils allows leeks to shine by embracing their flavor and leaving them whole.
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Other Great Lentil Recipes
Lentils are truly an incredibly versatile pantry staple. Transform them into a meaty yet meatless pasta sauce, use them as the base of a grain bowl or casserole, and more.
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Slow Cooker Lentil and Mushroom Bolognese
In this "meaty" vegetarian alternative to classic bolognese, baby bella mushrooms and protein-packed green lentils stand in for ground beef.
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This recipe transforms protein-rich lentils into a comforting baked casserole that really doesn’t need anything else to call it a meal.
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Every single piece of this vegetarian bowl can be made ahead of time and tossed together in a flash for a wholesome, delicious meal.
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Sausage and Lentil One Pot Pasta
This 5-ingredient one-pot pasta recipe is packed with protein, and ready in 20 minutes.
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Making these pockets is a little involved, but you can take some shortcuts by starting with store-bought whole wheat pizza dough, or by roasting and refrigerating the sweet potatoes several days before assembling.
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Honey Roasted Sprouts with Lentil-Quinoa Pilaf
Every flavor you're craving shows up in this lentil-quinoa pilaf that's topped with honey-roasted Brussels sprouts.
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This traditional Middle Eastern dish, called mujadara, is typically a side, but it works as a main dish, too, especially when topped with a fried egg.
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