Lentils in Everything: Cheap Protein, Fiber, and a Fuller Plate

For a long time, lentils were something I cooked when I was making a lentil dish. Lentil soup, a pot of misir wat, that was it. Somewhere along the way I started adding a scoop of them to food that had nothing to do with lentils, and now it’s one of the habits I lean on most.

The reason is simple: they add protein and fiber, and they’re cheap. Really cheap. A scoop of lentils can turn a meal that would feed three into one that feeds four, for well under a dollar.

Why lentils work so well

• Protein and fiber together. A 1/2 cup of cooked lentils has about 9g of protein and somewhere around 4-8g of fiber, depending on the type. That pairing is what makes a meal feel filling, and the fiber helps slow down how fast the carbs hit your blood sugar.
• They’re cheap. A pound of dried lentils usually costs less than half what a pound of ground beef does, and it cooks up into about 6 cups. Swapping part of the meat for lentils cuts the cost of a meal without making it feel like less food.
• They don’t need a plan. Unlike most dried beans, lentils need no soaking. Split red lentils are tender in about 15 minutes, and green or brown lentils take 20-25.
• They take on whatever flavor is around them. Lentils are mild, so in a chili they taste like chili and in a curry they taste like curry.

Where I add them

• Chili and taco meat. This is where I started. Replace a quarter to half of the ground meat with cooked lentils. Brown or green lentils have a texture that blends right in with the meat. They work great in my cast iron chili.
• Pasta sauce. Stir a cup of cooked red lentils into a pot of tomato sauce. They break down and thicken it, and it ends up tasting heartier, almost like a meat sauce.
• Soups and stews. A small handful of dried red lentils dropped right into almost any soup will cook in the pot and thicken the broth. Lentils are also what make my lentil and vegetable soup filling enough to be a meal.
• Sloppy joes, shepherd’s pie, and stuffed peppers. Anywhere there’s seasoned ground meat, lentils can take up some of the space.
• Grain bowls and salads. Firmer cooked lentils on top of greens or roasted vegetables turn a side salad into lunch.
• Rice. Cook a few tablespoons of red lentils right along with your rice. They soften into it and add protein to a plain side.

Make a batch and keep it around

The thing that made this a real habit was keeping cooked lentils in the fridge. Once a week I cook a pot of them using my how to cook split red lentils method, and then it’s easy to toss a scoop into whatever I’m making. They keep about 5 days in the fridge, and they freeze well in 1-cup portions.

Start small

If your household isn’t sure about lentils, start with a quarter of the meat in a chili or taco night and see if anyone notices. Most of the time nobody does. And just like with any other fiber, add more gradually and drink plenty of water while your stomach gets used to it.