18 High-Protein Lentil Dinners You'll Want to Make Forever
Reviewed by Dietitian Jessica Ball, M.S., RD
Get those lentils out of your pantry to make one of these satisfying dinners. Lentils are a nutrient-dense legume that can be used in anything from soups and stews to stuffed peppers and shepherd’s pie. Plus, you’ll find lentils contribute to the 15 grams of protein or more per serving in each of these meals. This protein can help to support satiety, muscle recovery and bone health to keep you feeling your best. Readers give recipes like our Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes and One-Pot Lentils & Rice with Spinach four- and five-star reviews for being as flavorful as they are nourishing.
One-Pot Lentil & Vegetable Soup with Parmesan
This lentil-vegetable soup is packed with kale and tomatoes for a filling, flavorful main dish. If you have it, the Parmesan cheese rind adds nuttiness and gives the broth some body. If you avoid cheese made with rennet, look for vegetarian Parmesan cheese, which is made without it.
Roasted Root Veggies & Greens over Spiced Lentils
This earthy bowl of lentils is topped with leftover roasted root veggies from a large batch for an easy weeknight dinner. Keep it vegan or add a drizzle of plain yogurt for extra richness.
Kale & Lentil Stew with Mashed Potatoes
Fire-roasted tomatoes add slightly smoky flavor to red lentils. The addition of mashed potatoes gives this an upside-down shepherd's pie feel.
One-Pot Lentils & Rice with Spinach
This hearty vegan dish gets its earthy flavor from cumin and brown rice. If you can handle extra heat, try doubling the crushed red pepper for a bigger punch of flavor.
Harira (Moroccan Tomato, Lentil & Beef Soup)
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food stylist: Lauren McAnelly, Prop stylist: Gabriel Greco
Harira is a tomato-based soup featured at the center of many Moroccan tables during the month of Ramadan. It’s often enjoyed as part of iftar, or the meal served to break the fast each evening, along with dates, milk, hard-boiled eggs, semolina pancakes and chebakia (sesame cookies). This version features chickpeas, lentils, beef and noodles in a fragrant tomato broth, but there are endless variations on the soup.
Red Lentil Soup with Saffron
This hearty red lentil soup uses spices common in Persian cuisine: turmeric, cumin and saffron. Enjoy it with a warm baguette or steamed rice.
Spiced Couscous-Stuffed Peppers
Courtesy Photo
While I enjoy a classic dish of peppers stuffed with hashweh, a spiced ground beef dish, there are plenty of other traditional options that don’t use meat at all. A roasted stuffed vegetable is so central to regional Mediterranean cooking, and there’s something deeply satisfying about making a delicious pilaf-style filling of couscous and lentils to tuck inside juicy bell peppers. To take things up a notch, I drizzle everything with a fresh cucumber yogurt sauce. These spiced stuffed peppers are flavorful, filling little packages that will make any plant or meat eater happy. Excerpted from THE FEEL GOOD FOODIE COOKBOOK by Yumna Jawad. Copyright © 2024 by Yumna Jawad. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Slow-Cooker Creamy Lentil Soup Freezer Pack
Prep the ingredients for this soup months in advance for a total hands-off meal that's ready when you are. Vegetarian lentils and vegan coconut milk make this soup creamy and pack in plenty of plant-based protein and a hearty amount of fiber. To keep it vegan, opt for vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Vegan Shepherd's Pie
Lentils take the place of ground meat and vegan butter adds creaminess to the mashed potatoes in this easy vegan shepherd's pie recipe. If you want to cut down on the cooking time, use precooked lentils and omit most of the vegetable broth, adding some in only if the mixture seems dry.
Lemony Lentil & Chard Soup
This satisfying lemony bowlful was inspired by the lentil soup served at the now-closed Lebanese restaurant La Shish in West Bloomfield, Michigan. It keeps well but will thicken, so you may want to thin it with a bit of water or broth when reheating. Serve with warm whole-wheat pita.
Braised Lentils & Kale with Fried Eggs
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
These braised lentils are cooked with tender kale and bathed in a fire-roasted tomato broth with an egg on top to pack in the protein. Microwaveable lentils need just a short time in the pan to finish cooking. If you have cooked or canned lentils on hand, you can use them in their place, but you may have to shave a few minutes off the cooking time so they don't get too soft. We like how the soft, runny yolk coats the dish. If you want a harder yolk, cover the pan and add 2 or 3 minutes to the cooking time.
Lentil Stew with Salsa Verde
This healthy vegetarian recipe is hearty and satisfying. Don't skip the parsley relish (salsa verde)—it's easy to make and lends a tangy accent that balances the flavors of the lentil stew. We prefer French green lentils for this stew, as they don't fall apart while cooking; however, regular brown lentils (found in most supermarkets) will also work.
Red Lentil Fritters with Ginger-Yogurt Sauce
Here we soak lentils instead of fully cooking them, which gives them just enough added moisture to be whirred up into a fritter without being too wet. Serve these curry-spiced fritters on top of a green salad or tucked into a pita.
Braised Black Lentil & Quinoa Bowls
These healthy vegetarian bowls feature black lentils braised in spices like thyme and smoked paprika. Riced cauliflower and quinoa bulk up the dish to make it satisfying for any weeknight dinner. A creamy yogurt topping finishes the recipe.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
This Instant Pot lentil soup is quick enough to prepare when you get home from work for an easy weeknight dinner. This vegetarian soup recipe is full of aromatic vegetables, brown lentils and fresh spinach. A splash of balsamic vinegar brightens the flavor, and a garnish of radish and parsley gives this comforting soup a fresh finish.
Lentil Burgers
Walnuts and fresh marjoram accent these vegan lentil burgers. Substitute oregano for marjoram if you like. Serve with a smear of whole-grain mustard and roasted sweet potato wedges.
Berbere-Spiced Chicken & Lentil Stew
This chicken stew, generously seasoned with the Ethiopian spice mix berbere, is loaded with tomato and red lentils. Depending on brand, berbere spice blend can be rather spicy. For a less spicy stew, start with 3 tablespoons spice blend rather than 5.
Mushroom & Lentil Soup
Fresh and dried mushrooms provide a deep umami flavor in this brothy soup, while harissa paste brings color and spiciness. Lentils serve as a great source of plant-based protein and help bulk up the soup so you'll feel full and satisfied.
Read the original article on Eating Well.
