2 Cheap & Easy Lentil Recipes That Are Full of Fiber & Protein

Benefits of lentils

Why lentils? The nutrition is amazing. One cup of cooked lentils has 230 calories, 16 grams of fiber, and 15 grams of protein. It’s recommended to have 25 to 45 grams of fiber a day. They are also super cheap.

You can get a 1-pound bag for a dollar at the Dollar Tree and elsewhere. A 1-pound bag has at least 10 servings in it which translates into two or three meals out of one bag. There are a few types of lentils, including red, green, and brown, but I’ve only used red and brown.

Red gets mushy, which is good for soups. Brown lentils remain somewhat firm when cooked so they are good for tacos and the like. Here are two recipes to get you started.

1. Lentil Sloppy Joes

I used spaghetti sauce instead of the recommended crushed tomatoes for this recipe and it turned out fine. This recipe is made in the slow cooker which makes this dinner easy.

a) Rinse dry lentils

You’ll need to rinse and clean dried lentils. Cull through them to make sure there are no rocks.

b) Add to slow cooker

After I rinse them, I put them in the slow cooker. Then I add the spaghetti sauce. I added basil, oregano, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Then I added a little extra water. Cook on low for eight hours. 

c) Mealtime

Once they are done, the sloppy Joe mix is ready to be put on a sandwich or wrap. I served this with roasted Brussels sprouts on the side.

2. Lentil taco meat

Add 2½ cups of chicken broth to a pot and add to boiling broth rinsed and cleaned lentils. 

a) Saute onion

While the lentils boiled, I sauteed chopped onion and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. You can always add bell peppers, as well. I also added two tablespoons of tomato paste.

Then I added a lot of seasonings, such as cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. I mixed it up and added the rest of the chicken broth (1 and ½ cups).

b) Add lentils

I added the cooked lentils to the chicken broth and onion mix. I let that simmer for 15 minutes. It got nice and thick. And although it’s not taco meat, it was well seasoned. You can put this mixture in tacos, tortillas, on top of tortilla chips, in a burrito, or in a bowl. 

c) Add lime

I squirted in some lime juice while the taco meat was cooking. 

d) Plating them

I made some coleslaw and steamed veggies to go with the taco meat meal. We put our favorite toppings on the tacos, such as shredded cheese and sour cream. 

Easy lentil recipes

Let me know if you’ve tried any of these lentil dinner ideas and how they came out! And of course please share your lentil recipes!