Hooray for easy soups! This Curried Red Lentil and Pumpkin Soup is the type of recipe that saves the day—very few ingredients, fast, and really delicious. Oh yeah, and did I mention how incredibly...
Lentils
Lentils are a a staple ingredient in both vegetarian and vegan diets for decades and for good reason! These humble and inexpensive legumes are full of fiber, vitamins and minerals, and plant protein. . There are five main types of lentils and each have their own unique flavor: red and yellow lentils have a mild, sweet flavor and soft texture, green lentils have a nutty taste and slightly more firm texture, brown lentils taste more earthy , and black lentils have a meaty or umami taste and deliciously firm texture. Not only are lentils yummy and budget-friendly, but they’re also incredibly nutritious!
Lentils may seem boring at first, but they’re a total blank slate that can be paired with any flavor or ingredient, making them incredibly versatile! Not to mention, they’re incredibly filling and comforting, which makes them the perfect inexpensive addition to any lunch or dinner. Try them simmered in a comforting soup like Tomato Lentil Soup, made into a hearty plant-based stew like our Vegan Winter Stew, used as a base for a simple cold salad like our Marinated Lentil Salad, or even used to stretch ground beef like in our Sloppy Joes Plus. Lentils can be added to any meal, year-round!
We’ve created nearly 2 dozen easy lentil recipes that are delicious, quick, and budget- friendly. In fact, all of our lentil recipe ideas are under $2 per serving! Talk about a bargain! And the best part? Most of these simple lentil recipes are vegetarian, vegan, or easily made plant-based with one quick substitution!
P.S. If you’re looking for the best budget-friendly plant-based recipes, check out our vegetarian and vegan categories!
There's nothing quite like the smell of a pot of soup simmering away on the stove top when it's cold and blustery outside. This tomato lentil soup is full of vegetables and herbs for...
Ever since I added coconut milk to my ramen broth, I haven’t been able to stop adding coconut milk to all of my savory saucy and brothy dishes. The creaminess of the coconut milk...
I’ve been trying to brain storm up some easy plant-based meals lately, and this week’s creation was these Creamy Coconut Curried Lentils with Spinach, which are kind of like the creamy cousin of my...
I’m already declaring THIS my favorite recipe of the winter of 2018/2019, and we haven’t even gotten to winter yet! That’s just how excited I am about this Vegan Winter Lentil Stew. I’ve made...
Yeah, I know, it’s 90 degrees outside and most people don’t want to be eating chili right now, but I’m a year ’round chili eater. Especially back in the day when I worked in...
Okay, you’re really going to have to try not to judge a book by it’s cover here. I know this Lentil & Sausage Stew isn’t the prettiest thing to look at but, OMG, it...
“Plus? What is this ‘plus’ business?” … I can hear it now. Well, the “plus” is LENTILS! *crowd cheers* Yes, these easy Homemade Sloppy Joes Plus have lentils for added fiber and to bulk them...
Have you ever gotten flavor overload? Like if you eat too much and the next day all you want to eat is something really simple? Okay, maybe that’s just me or because I work...
I’m trying to stock my fridge with some healthy options for the week ahead because I didn’t do so well last week. So, this morning I threw together some of my favorite flavors (garlic,...
It’s HOT outside, so I’m experimenting a lot with my slow cooker this week. Slow cookers are awesome not only because they’re mostly hands-off, but also because they contain their heat well and don’t...
After making (and devouring) my Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes last week, I was really craving some shepherd’s pie. But, because of the strict budget I’m working with, I decided to make a vegetarian shepherd’s Pie....
I discovered Mujaddara probably about ten years ago at this little Lebanese lunch spot in Baton Rouge, called Serop’s Express. I didn’t know what the brown mixture was, but I ordered on a whim...
This recipe for Curried Lentils is a spin off of the ever popular Quick Curried Chickpeas. It always amazes me how a recipe with so few ingredients can have such big flavor! For this...
I get a lot of emails from readers with recipe suggestions and I love them all, but don’t get the opportunity to make many of them. Every once in a while, though, an email...
OMG… This Chunky Lentil and Vegetable Soup is my new all-time favorite soup! I’ve already eaten two bowls since I made it today at lunch and I don’t think I’ll even need to freeze...
You know how I love kale. You know how I love lentils. You know how I love sweet potatoes. This salad has them all together in one bowl! Yes! It has everything you need...
It’s soooo cold here! (read: below 75 degrees) So, I’ve been really into soups lately, if you can’t tell. Earlier this week I got an email from Lindsay with a red lentil soup recipe...
Pink slime got you down? Maybe you’re already a vegetarian? Or maybe you just don’t like paying $4/lb. for ground beef? Well, if you don’t already know, lentils make a fantastic substitute (or extender)...
One of my all-time favorite, easy side dishes is coconut jasmine rice. So, I started thinking that if cooking rice in coconut milk was so good, maybe cooking lentils in coconut milk would be...
Wow, I’ve had so many good recipe suggestions from readers lately! And I guess that’s a good thing because I’ve been so busy with school and other projects that I don’t even have time...
Things are a little tight this month so I made a resolution to use up all (or a lot) of the food that I have in my pantry and freezer. Sure, I should always...
This was one of the first ever Budget Bytes recipe experiments. After browsing the internet looking for ideas, I saw this Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Soup by Andrea Meyers and it piqued my...
