Whether you’re busy or not, it’s hard to maintain a healthy meal every day.
Even those who love cooking don’t have the energy to cook every single day—as such, having a pre-stocked meal in the freezer is a game changer.
Vegan red lentil meals are one of those healthy options on the days when you don’t have at least an hour to prepare breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
This tiny protein-packed food is highly nutritious, cooks faster than other vegetables, and is easy to digest.
Not to mention that vegan red lentil tastes even better after a day or two in the fridge. Indeed, this veggie is perfect to use in various recipes.
Below are our favorite vegan red lentil meals for you to try at home.
Vegan Red Lentil Curry
Those who claim red lentils are bland food might change their perception once they try the vegan red lentil curry.
This dish is delectable, ultra-indulgent, and creamy. It is easy to cook and very comforting, perfect on cold or rainy nights.
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Course: Dinner
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp oil
- 1 small piece of onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 cup red lentils (rinsed)
- 450 ml diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup spinach (packed)
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Heat oil in the sauté pan over medium heat. Put the onions and garlic and season them with salt and pepper. Sauté the ingredients for about 3 minutes.
- Add the cumin and curry powder. Stir the spices
- Add the red lentil, broth, and diced tomatoes. Adjust the cooking stove to a low boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the lid for about 15 minutes until the lentils are soft and tender. Stir the ingredients from time to time.
- Add the chickpeas, the coconut milk, and a pinch of cinnamon. Remove the lid and let it cook uncovered. Taste the dish and adjust the flavor when necessary. You can add more spices if you want a spicier red lentil curry.
- Add the spinach on top and remove the pan from the heat.
- You’re now down. This recipe is best served with turmeric rice on any rice of your choice.
Red Lentil Soup with Cumin
Cooking this recipe is painless.
Besides the fact that it’s easy to prepare, this will defy your expectations about lentil soup.
This dish is light and spicy and will warm your tummy during winter nights.
Cooking Time: 65 minutes
Serving: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Course: Dinner
Ingredients
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 small onion (diced)
1 clove of garlic (minced)
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 cup red lentil (rinsed)
500 grams passata
600 ml vegetable stock
¼ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Coriander leaves (garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in and saute the garlic and onion in a deep skillet until light brown. Put the cumin seeds and toast them until colored.
- Put the red lentils and stir them so they will be coated with other ingredients.
- Add the stock until it boils and simmer it for around 15 minutes until the lentils are tender. Add the passata while the stock is boiling. Reduce the heat, simmer, and cover the pan with the lid. Let it cook for about 30 minutes.
- Leave the dish to cook. Puree the soup using a blender or food processor until smooth. Season to taste and heat the dish before serving. Add the coriander leaves as a garnish.
Vegan Red Lentil Dal
For about 20 minutes, you can serve this delicious red lentil dal. It is a flavorful, plant-based, powerful meal.
Serve it with rice or quinoa then you’re already fueled throughout the day.
You can even save the leftovers and expect them to be as delicious as the next day.
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Cuisine: Indian
Course: Breakfast
Ingredients
- 2 cups red lentils (dried)
- 3 cups water
- 15 oz coconut milk
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. ginger
Instructions
- Pour the water into a deep pan to boil over medium heat.
- Add lentils and coconut milk. Once boiled, reduce the heat to simmer. Leave it for about 10 minutes to cook or just until the lentils are soft and tender.
- Add spices for flavoring. Stir the ingredients and leave them for another 5 minutes to cook.
- The dish is now ready to serve. Serve it with cauliflower rice, quinoa, white rice, or flatbreads.
Kung Pao Lentils
Kung Pao Lentils will probably become your next vegan favorite if you like spicy, sweet, and sour flavors in one meal.
This dish is made with 100% vegan ingredients, gluten-free, and perfect for any diet.
The flavors of kung pao sauce, ginger, and garlic work perfectly. Serve this vegan lentil meal with brown rice to complete your meal.
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serving: 3
Cuisine: Chinese
Course: Entrée
Ingredients
For the Red Lentils
- ½ cup red lentils (rinsed)
- 1 ½ cups of water
- A pinch of salt
For the vegetables:
- 2 tsp. oil (grapeseed or neutral oil)
- ½ cup red or white onion (chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3 tbsp. cashew nuts
- 4 pcs dried red chilies
- 1-inch ginger (minced)
- 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (chopped)
- ¾ cup celery (chopped)
- Black pepper and lemon juice (for garnish)
For the sauce:
- 2 to 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice or dry sherry wine
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil (toasted)
- 1 tsp hoisin sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 to 3 tsp maple syrup (or raw sugar)
- ¼ tsp lime zest
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Prepare the lentil ingredients and cook them. To do so, combine water, lentils, and salt in a saucepan. Cover the pan and let it boil over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes. Afterward, reduce the cooking stove to medium heat and leave it around for 20 to 25 minutes to cook or until the lentils are softened.
- For the vegetables, heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add chilies and onion and cook them for about 3 minutes. Add the cashews and mix all ingredients for a few seconds. Then add the ginger and garlic and stir. Now, add the celery and pepper and remix the ingredients. Leave it for about 3 to 4 minutes to cook.
- For the sauce, combine the sauce ingredients altogether in a bowl. Stir them well and set them aside.
- Put the sauce into the pan of cooked lentils and mix them well. Add a few tablespoons of water. Reduce the cooking stove to medium heat until the sauce thickens and is absorbed by the red lentils. Taste and feel free to add some sweets and spice to achieve your desired flavor.
- Garnish this dish with black pepper and lemon juice. Serve with cooked rice.
Lentil Veggie Asparagus Frittata
This dish is quite time-consuming to cook.
But the result is a delicious meal and the perfect alternative to the usual pancake for breakfast.
Lentils substituted the eggy mix to achieve this lentil frittata recipe.
Cooking Time: 65 minutes
Serving: 4
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
Ingredients
For the lentil egg mix:
- ½ cup red lentil
- ¼ cup almond milk
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp chia seed
- 2 tsp starch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1//4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp yeast
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp sun-dried tomato (optional)
For the vegetables:
- 1 tsp oil
- 3 cloves of garlic
- ½ cup onion (chopped)
- 1 cup asparagus (chopped thinly)
- 2 cups random chopped veggies (asparagus, carrots, mushroom, bell pepper, peas, cauliflower)
- ½ cup baby spinach
- 1/3 tsp salt
- 1/3 tsp pepper powder
- ¼ tsp thyme and oregano
Instructions
- Add water and soak the lentils and leave it for about 20 minutes to cook.
- Prepare the baking pan. Add the greasing or parchment well—Preheat the oven to 365 degrees F heat.
- For the vegetable mixture, heat oil in the deep pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, then cook them for at least 3 to 4 minutes or until the onions are light brown.
- Add the chopped veggies and mix them well. Then add greens and spices, and mix them. Cover the deep pan with a lid and leave it to cook until the greens are wilted. Remove the heat and leave the pan for a few minutes.
- For the lentil egg mix, drain the lentils and blend them with water. Add almond flour to the mixture and all remaining ingredients (veggie mixture). Use the blender to mix the ingredients for one minute.
- Transfer all ingredients from the blender to the baking pan. Spread them using a spatula.
- Bake the lentil mixture for around 40 to 50 minutes.
- Once baked, cool the pan for around 10 minutes. Slice the pie and serve them with sriracha, vegan cheese, or avocado.
The Bottom Line
You can’t go wrong with these vegan red lentil recipes; they are all comfort meals that you and your vegan family will love.
They are easy to make, and you can always add spices or flavors to match your desired taste.
We have carefully chosen these recipes to defy the notion that red lentils are one of those boring vegetables – that if it weren’t for their nutrients, no one would love them.
You see, with creativity and a few flavor adjustments, you can make a simple vegan meal delectable, more nutritious, and addicting.
Have you tried cooking one of these recipes?
Did you like how it turned out so far? Let us know in the comments!