Recipes Using Lentils: Rachael's Favorite Ways To Cook Lentils For a Cheap Dinner

If you're like one of our viewers, you have a ton of dry lentils in your pantry. Hey, we get it, they're cheap and good to have on hand — but they could also get boring really quickly if you don't mix up how you prepare them. 

Per usual, though, Rach has no shortage of ideas for recipes using lentils.

"I love lentils," Rachael says. "Lentils are a great source of protein. They're cheap, they're cheerful, and they keep for days in the fridge and forever in your pantry."

Q: I have so many dry lentils! What can I do with them?
– Viewer

HOW DO YOU PREPARE LENTILS?

"I soak them overnight, like I do beans," Rach explains. "Then I give them a rinse. Your basic [lentils recipe] is with carrots, celery [and] onions. I put in tons of crushed garlic." 

Rach has also been known to whip up a lot of twists on lentil soup — like Lentil-Cabbage Soup, Lentil & Farro Soup With Herb & Walnut Sauce and Tomato-Lentil Soup. 

More of Rachael's lentil recipe ideas: 

1. Deviled Lentils

"Add Calabrian chili paste or a lot of hot sauce," Rach suggests, "and I top it with pickled chili peppers."

2. Twist On Scafata 

"Scafata is a brothy beans and greens dish that you put a poached egg on," Rach explains.

And while Scafata usually features peas and fava beans, why not "double up your bean count," as Rach says, and add lentils too?

Just wilt greens (like escarole or chard) into your lentils, add fava beans and top the dish with a poached egg. Yum!

3. Lentil Curry

"Use curry spices to cook down the lentils, and I would add tomato if I were gonna do that," Rach says. "You can stir in some defrosted chopped frozen spinach, as well."

"Tomato & Spinach Lentil Curry sounds delightful," she adds, "topped with a little Greek yogurt." 

Get more of Rachael's lentil recipes here.