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

FAQs

How much lentils to replace meat? ›

For every one pound of ground beef, you can substitute one cup of dried, uncooked lentils. One cup of dried lentils equals about two to two-and-a-half cups of cooked lentils.

By mixing raw ground meat with cooked lentils in a ratio of 3:1 or 2:1, you can boost your dish's protein, iron, fiber and folate content. Lentils can also be pureed or pulsed in a food processor to act as a binder, in place of egg or breadcrumbs.

Aim to soak your beans or lentils for at least 4 hours, and preferably overnight. Dump the soaking water (i.e. don't use it to cook the beans). Then be sure to give your beans/lentils a good rinse before cooking to wash away those gas-producing carbohydrates. Introduce them slowly.

Pound for pound, raw lentils have more protein than steak. While not as protein-dense once cooked, they pack even more iron than meat, in addition to other vitamins and minerals. Fast to cook, easy to store and exalted enough to be buried with the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, these seeds have sustained empires.

Note that 1 pound (16 ounces) of dry lentils yields about 6 cups cooked (and ½ cup dry is about 1 cup cooked).

Think more like you're cooking pasta- you just need significantly more water than lentils. You can also use broth instead of adding an extra layer of flavor. I like adding a bay leaf, an onion cut in half, and a clove of garlic to add flavor to the lentils.

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.

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.

Cook on a stovetop, using 3 cups of liquid (water, stock, etc) to 1 cup of dry lentils. Be sure to use a large enough saucepan as the lentils will double or triple in size. Bring to a boil, cover tightly, reduce heat and simmer until they are tender. For whole lentils, cook time is typically 15-20 minutes.

Why red lentils: They cook quickly because they are small and split. They become soft when cooked so they work well for thickening soups and making purees.

How many lentils per person? ›

Note: Dried out lentil varieties don't need to be soaked. 1 cup of dried lentils yields 2 1/2 cups of cooked lentils. Serving size per person is ¼ cup.

Lentils contain lysine, which is an essential amino acid.

Furthermore, experts confirm that very high doses of lysine might produce stomach discomfort and diarrhea.

Legumes will cook faster in slightly alkaline water and there are many recipes suggesting adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to the cooking water. This method will soften the legumes but will leach important nutrition into the water.

Well, as healthy as they are, lentils are also known to cause some tummy issues like bloating and flatulence to be more specific. The presence of anti-nutrient compounds in lentils is the culprit behind gas or flatulence. The good news is that anti-nutrient in lentils can be easily deactivated by soaking them in water.

Substitute Lentils for Ground Meat

With their tiny size and toothsome texture, green, brown, and black lentils are one of the easiest plant food swaps to make. The switch works for everything from sloppy joes to pasta sauce. Replace 1 pound of ground meat with 2 cups of cooked, drained lentils.

According to NPR, lentils are the second-most protein-packed legumes (soybeans are the first). Healthline reports that 1 cup of lentils has about 17 grams of protein. This means that you can easily swap out lentils for your preferred meat and not worry about missing out on your proteins.

Lentils are good source of protein. A ½ cup serving of cooked lentils provides about 12 grams of protein. With such high protein content, you are sure to be fuelled up all day long.

One 8-week study in 39 people with overweight or obesity and type 2 diabetes found that eating 1/3 cup (60 grams) of lentils each day increased levels of HDL (good) cholesterol and significantly reduced levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides ( 13 ). Lentils may also help lower your blood pressure.