Lentil Recipes
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By Verena Frei · 11 recipes · Last reviewed 29 September 2026
Hello lovelies, lentils rescue every evening when the fridge looks empty: one bag from the pantry, an onion and a few spices, and dinner is on the table that keeps you full for hours. The one I cook most often is the lentil shakshuka with tomatoes, because everything cooks in a single pan.
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Which lentil you reach for decides the dish. Red lentils cook soft and thicken all by themselves, which is why they go into my creamy lentil orange soup and the easy carrot lentil soup. In the fall they also stand in for the ground meat in my vegetarian lasagna soup, which tastes of oregano and Parmesan. Brown and green lentils stay firm enough to carry a salad or a filling, like the lentil salad with feta and mint dressing.
When protein is the goal, the protein pasta with chickpeas and lentils is my favorite, with 27 g per serving. For a crowd I love the loaded lentil nachos from the oven or a pot of mujadara with rice and crispy onions, the Levantine classic. And when I want something warming and a little exotic, I make the cauliflower lentil curry with dates.
How to cook dried lentils and when to add the salt is all in my guide to cooking dried beans and lentils. Below you will find every lentil recipe I have in one place, from a quick weeknight soup to a salad for your lunch box.
VegetarianLentil Shakshuka with Tomatoes and Poached Eggs
VeganCreamy lentil orange soup
VeganEasy carrot-lentil soup
VeganProtein Pasta with chickpeas and lentils
VeganFilled zucchini with lentils and orzo
VeganCauliflower-Lentil Curry with dates
VegetarianLasagna Soup with Red Lentils and Spinach
VeganMujadara with Lentils, Rice and Crispy Onions
VegetarianLentil Salad with Feta and Mint Dressing
VegetarianLoaded Vegetarian Nachos with Spiced Lentils
VeganLamb's lettuce with apple & lentils
Frequently asked questions
No. Unlike chickpeas or beans, lentils cook without soaking. Rinse red lentils and simmer them for 10 to 15 minutes; brown, green and black lentils take 20 to 35 minutes depending on the variety. You can soak large brown lentils first, which shortens the cooking time a little.
Red and yellow lentils fall apart as they cook, so they turn soups, dal and curries creamy. Black beluga and French green lentils hold their shape and are perfect for salads. Brown lentils are the classic choice for stews and hearty fillings.
Dry lentils have more than 20 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz); cooked, it is about 9 g, because they soak up a lot of water. Paired with grains such as rice, pasta or bread, the protein becomes even more complete. That is how the protein pasta on this page reaches 27 g per serving.
Usually the lentils are old, or acid went into the pot too early. Add tomatoes, vinegar or lemon only once the lentils are almost tender. Very hard water can also stretch the cooking time.
Every card shows whether a recipe is vegan or vegetarian, and the filter above lets you show only the vegan dishes. The vegetarian ones are mostly the recipes with eggs or feta, such as the lentil shakshuka and the lentil salad with feta.
Yes. Lentil soups, dal and curries keep 3 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. They thicken as they sit, so stir in a splash of water or broth when you reheat them. A lentil salad often tastes even better the next day.
Anything with red lentils, since they are tender in 10 to 15 minutes: soups, curries and the lentil shakshuka. With precooked lentils from a can or jar, salads and nachos become a fast weeknight dinner too. Every recipe lists its real times right at the top.
Lentils are considered the easiest legume to digest, split red lentils most of all. Rinsing them well, cooking them fully and adding spices like cumin, ginger or fennel helps too. If you rarely eat legumes, start with smaller portions.
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