Lentils may not be a particularly trendy or colorful ingredient, but there’s a lot to love about cooking with the humble legume—not least, the plethora of amazing lentil recipes there are to be discovered.
Lentils are easy to cook with, budget-friendly, and versatile, and they bring a satisfying combination of protein and fiber to any dish—and we’re not just talking about your basic lentil soup or salad here. You’ll see that lentils make a hearty base for a wide variety of stews and curries, as well as fillings for savory pastries or stuffed bell peppers. Lentils can also make a wonderful substitute for ground beef—hence the many clever lentil-based riffs on meatballs, shepherd’s pies, burgers, beef Wellingtons, sloppy joes, nachos, and meatloaves you’ll find below. Put that bag of lovely little lentils sitting in your pantry to work with one of these delicious lentil recipes.