Everyone is telling you to stock up on non-perishable foods. In a panic-stricken moment at Wegmans, you grab that giant bag of lentils.
“I’ll figure out what to make with these later,” you think as you hoist them into your cart. Now, they sit in your pantry and mock you.
Say no more. I’ve laid out a few ways to use that bag of legumes. They’re incredibly versatile, not to mention awesome for you. They’re filling, and high in protein, fiber, and iron, so break open that bag and show them who’s boss!
Masoor Dal
Dal is an overarching category of richly spiced legume-based stews made on the Indiansubcontinent. Masoor Dal uses red lentils, but the legume used changes regionally. Most recipes include tomato and feature warm spices like ginger turmeric and chilis. It’s a great way to use lentils because you don’t need to do an incredible amount of work for high flavor payoff.
Lentil Soup
If you have mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) and some seasoning on hand, you’re basically in business. It’s a really great way to use up a lot of lentils at once. Plus, it freezes really well. So, if you wanted to get a ton of cooking done at once, lentil soup should be a go-to.
Lentil Cakes
These little patties are only a couple of inches in diameter and can be packed full of flavor. They are really customizable and you can use whatever spices you have on hand. They only take a couple of minutes on a skillet to cook and can be served by themselves with a yogurt sauce or on a salad or sandwich.
Lentil Salad
Salad gets a bad rap for not being filling enough. The problem is that most people don’t add enough protein to keep them full. Adding lentils to your go-to salad is a great way to get high quality plant-based protein into your diet.
Lentil Burger
It’s getting warmer outside, leaving many of us dreaming about sunny days and summer barbecues. Lentil burgers are awesome because you get the satisfaction of that giant burger-sized bite more sustainably. Also, the leftovers are great because all you need to do is mix up the toppings and you have a totally different meal than the first time.
