Lentils can be the main ingredient of tasty dishes without the need to combine them with meat. We show you 5 vegan lentil recipes to enjoy and take care of yourself at the same time.
The cold invites us to consume dishes with lentils. And it happens because our body is wise: lentils provide us with protein, B vitamins and minerals such as iron. On the other hand, they lack cholesterol and gluten, and their glycemic index and fat content is practically nil. In addition, they provide natural fiber and folic acid. Therefore, they are an essential food in the Mediterranean diet.
In the vegetable diet, the daily consumption of legumes is especially important, since, without a doubt, they are the best alternative option when it comes to eliminating the consumption of animal protein. Lentils are dried seeds that belong to this family of legumes (such as chickpeas, beans or beans).
In addition to the classic lentil stew, there are many options to incorporate them into our menus. Below, we show you a selection of Beatriz Barco dishes that are especially tasty based on this essential ingredient.
LENTIL BALLS WITH AROMATIC SAUCE
These lentil balls are ideal as dinner, as it is a light and nutritious dish. After dinner, our activity decreases and there is hardly any physical wear and tear, so food is processed more slowly and fewer calories are spent. That is why this type of low-calorie dishes is recommended. Notes:
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
- 250 g cooked lentils
- 50 g lettuce sprouts
- 20 g sprouts
- 2 tablespoons wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground chia
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
- A pinch of lemon zest
- Chickpea flour for batter
- Extra virgin olive oil and salt
For the sauce:
- 1⁄2 bunch fresh basil
- 1⁄2 garlic clove
- 40 g pine nuts
- 30 g vegan Parmesan cheese
- 1⁄2 lemon juice
- Zest of 1⁄2 lemon
- Extra virgin olive oil and salts
PREPARATION (60 MINUTES + REST)
- Heat the lentils and crush them without forming a puree. Put them in a bowl and add the parsley, chia, breadcrumbs and spices. Stir and let stand for a few hours.
- Wash and dry the basil leaves thoroughly. Place them then in a blender glass along with the rest of the sauce ingredients and mash until you get a compound as uniform as possible.
- Make balls with the lentil dough, coat them in chickpea flour and put them on a baking tray lined with vegetable paper. Drizzle with oil and cook them in the preheated oven at 180º C for about 15 minutes, until golden brown.
- Wash and dry the lettuce sprouts thoroughly, place them in a bowl and mix them with the sprouts.
- Mix all the ingredients of the basil and lemon sauce and serve it with the balls and with the salad seasoned to taste.
Recipe: Beatriz de Marcos
RED LENTIL CURRY CREAM
These lentils with oriental flavor proposed by Chef Prabhu will enchant and nourish you to the same extent. In addition, it incorporates turmeric, whose main ingredient is curry, the spice with more medicinal properties studied by science. This cream is especially interesting for people who have some difficulty digesting them, something that usually happens to those who are not accustomed to their frequent intake.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 SERVINGS:
For the cream
- 200 g red lentils, 150 g onion and 100 g ripe tomato
- 50 g red pepper
- 1 teaspoon curry and 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For chapati bread
- 120 g wheat flour, 70 ml water 1 g salt and 10 ml olive oil
Preparation:
- Soak the lentils for 30 minutes and drain them.
- Julienne the onion and put it in a pan with a pinch of salt. Then add the pepper and tomato to quarters. Cook for 5 minutes and add lentils and water until covered.
- Cook 20 minutes over medium heat, adding more water if necessary. Add a teaspoon of curry in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- While the lentils are cooking, take the opportunity to make chapati bread.
- Mix the ingredients until you get a dough and let it sit for 15 minutes.
- After this time, stretch the dough very thin, cut it into a disc and pass it through the iron with a drop of oil until it is golden brown on both sides.
- Crush the lentils without removing the water, but adding olive oil to thread until it is a creamy and smooth texture.
- To finish, rectify salt and pepper to your liking.
- Serve the cream with the chapati bread and with some pepper crudités as an accompaniment.
LENTIL AND AVOCADO TARTARE
Since legumes are deficient in some essential amino acids that the body needs (except for soy, which contains them all), humans have developed strategies to compensate: combine legumes with foods that provide the amino acids they lack, for example, with nuts, cereals or seeds.
In this proposal by Chef Prabhu, lentils are combined with avocado, a fresh fruit rich in healthy fats that also provides vitamin E, vitamin C and a variety of minerals (potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc).
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
- 80 g cooked brown lentils, 40 g avocado and 20 g beet juice
- 15 ml olive oil, 1 g salt and 0.5 g pepper
- 15 g carrot, 10 g turnip, 5 g fennel and 10 g zucchini
- 1/2 cumin papadum
- Vegetable oil
- Sorrel sprouts
For piparra juice:
- 80 g pickled piparras, 5 tablespoons olive oil and 0.1 g xanthan
PREPARATION TIME (12 MIN + COOKING TIME)
For the tartare:
- Process the fat ingredients and mix them with the lentils and the rest of the vegetables.
- Pepper.
- Cut the cumin papadum into pieces and oil it at 160°C for a few seconds to make it crispy.
- Put it on absorbent paper and give it the shape you want.
For the juice:
- Blend the piparras and bind them with the oil and xanthan.
For final assembly:
- With a hoop, assemble the tartare.
- Wash the crunchy cumin and altérate it with sorrel sprouts.
- Finish serving it seasoned with piparra juice.
MARRAKESH LENTIL SOUP
Carla Zaplana proposes this complete and nutritious dish based on legumes, vegetables and spices such as turmeric, with anti-inflammatory properties.
The combination of legumes, vegetables and healthy spices, make this recipe for lentils with vegetables a must in your kitchen.
Ingredients for 4
- 350 g lentils (dry)
- 1 large onion, 2 carrots, 4 crushed garlic cloves
- 2 tsp olive oil, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, 50 g fresh coriander, pepper.
- 2 liters of vegetable broth
- 200 g cauliflower or broccoli, 750 g diced tomatoes, 300 g spinach
- 2 tbsp. of tomato sauce, 2 tbsp. lemon juice
Preparation
- In a slow cooker with a little oil, brown the onion, carrot, garlic and spices for 5 minutes.
- Add the broth and water, cauliflower, lentils, tomatoes and sauce. Stir, cover and cook over medium heat 3 hours. Towards the end incorporate the spinach.
- When serving, season with fresh cilantro and lemon juice.
LENTIL CAKE, SEEDS AND KOMBU SEAWEED
In this recipe by Mercedes Blasco, the Castilian blonde lentil variety, also called lens, has been used because it is large and round, brownish yellow and mild flavor. It is one of the most used lentils. It pairs well with rice and is excellent in stews and stews. Having a lot of fiber, it requires prolonged cooking in soft water, and to prevent it from being flatulent it can be cooked with anise, oregano, bay leaf and kombu seaweed.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
- 300 g blonde lentils
- 100 g fine oat flakes
- 1 strip kombu seaweed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 250 g mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 tomato, grated
- 50 g sunflower seeds
- Ginger powder, parsley and brewer’s yeast
- Extra virgin olive oil and sea salt
PREPARATION (20 MINUTES + 55 OF COOKING)
- Let the lentils and seaweed soak for an hour and then cook 40 minutes over low heat.
- A sauce is made with vegetables, salt and ginger. Cook the oatmeal 5 minutes stirring until thick. It is crushed together with the lentils and kombu seaweed and the sofrito and two tablespoons of brewer’s yeast are added. Stir well.
- Put the mixture, pressed, on an elongated tray, cover with the pipes and bake 15 minutes at 180 ° C. It is decorated with chopped parsley.
