Red Lentils: 3 Cheap and Quick Recipes Anyone Can Make

Hey, do you know that feeling when you come home hungry like a wolf, your wallet is not exactly overflowing, and you really do not feel like standing at the stove for half the day? Red lentils save you in moments like that.

Quick cooking without panic

Red Lentils: 3 Cheap and Quick Recipes Anyone Can Make

This is the ultimate ingredient you should always keep in your pantry. Why? Because it does not need soaking, it cooks in just 10 to 15 minutes, and it costs almost nothing. You save time and money, and in the end you eat a proper meal that actually fills you up.

If you are a complete beginner in the kitchen and can barely make coffee, do not panic. The recipes below are written in a way that makes them almost impossible to mess up. Let’s cook!

1. “Fake” Red Lentil Bolognese

★★★★★4.9/5 · 128 ratings

Who says you need expensive minced meat that has to cook for two hours to make a good pasta sauce? This version is ready before the pasta is even fully cooked.

What you need for 2 servings

• 1 cup red lentils, about 150 g
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 can chopped tomatoes or tomato passata, 400 g
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or oregano
• salt, pepper and a little olive oil
• your favorite pasta

Exact step-by-step method

1. Preparation: Peel the onion and garlic. Cut the onion into the smallest cubes you can, and finely chop the garlic. Put the red lentils into a sieve and quickly rinse them under running water.
2. Cooking the pasta: Fill a large pot with water, salt it well and place it over high heat. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook it according to the instructions on the package.
3. Sautéing: While the water is heating, take a deep pan, pour in 2 tablespoons of oil and heat it over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and stir it with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes, until it becomes soft and slightly translucent. Then add the chopped garlic, stir and cook for only 30 seconds, just until it smells fragrant. Be careful not to burn it, because it will turn bitter.
4. The sauce: Add the rinsed lentils to the pan and mix them with the onion and garlic. Immediately pour in the can of tomatoes. If you are using whole peeled tomatoes, crush them directly in the pan with a wooden spoon or fork. Add the basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a little pepper.
5. Simmering: Reduce the heat to low, so the sauce barely bubbles. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir once or twice while it cooks. If you notice the sauce is too thick or too dry, add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water.
6. The finish: When the lentils are soft, you can taste them to check that they no longer feel crunchy, turn off the heat. Drain the pasta, add it straight into the pan with the sauce, mix everything well and serve.

If you want next week’s menu sorted with easy Mediterranean comfort food:

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2. Express Creamy Curry, Indian Dal Style

★★★★★4.8/5 · 96 ratings

When you crave something warm and a little exotic, but your bank account is not exactly ready for a flight to India. This is a thick, creamy dish that is best eaten by dipping bread into it.

What you need for 2 servings

• 1 cup red lentils, 250 ml
• 1 small onion
• 1 level tablespoon curry powder, the spice mix you can find in almost any store
• 1/2 can coconut milk, about 200 ml
• 1 cup water
• 2 handfuls fresh spinach, the pre-washed kind from a bag works too
• salt and a little regular oil

Exact step-by-step method

1. Preparation: Peel the onion and finely chop it. Rinse the lentils under running water in a sieve.
2. The start: Pour one tablespoon of oil into a small pot or saucepan and heat it. Add the onion and sauté it for 3 minutes, until it softens.
3. Activating the spices: Add the tablespoon of curry powder to the sautéed onion. Stir everything quickly for about 20 to 30 seconds. This helps the curry develop that proper, full flavor.
4. Liquid and lentils: Immediately add the lentils to the pot, pour in the coconut milk, shake the can well before opening it, and add one cup of water. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.
5. Cooking: When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, partly cover the pot with a lid and let it gently simmer for 12 to 15 minutes. During cooking, the lentils will absorb almost all the liquid and become completely soft and creamy. Stir a few times so they do not stick to the bottom.
6. The final touch: Turn off the stove. Add the spinach to the pot and gently stir it into the hot curry with a spoon. The heat will wilt the spinach by itself in less than a minute. Taste it, add a little more salt if needed, spoon it into a deep plate and serve with a piece of bread.

3. Quick and Hearty Winter Stew

★★★★★4.9/5 · 112 ratings

When you need something spoonable, warm and filling, but you do not want to chop a mountain of complicated vegetables. Almost nobody knows the grated carrot trick, but it works beautifully.

What you need for 2 servings

• 1 cup red lentils, 250 ml
• 1 onion
• 2 large carrots
• 3 to 4 cups, 250 ml each, hot water or vegetable stock made from a cube
• 1/2 lemon
• salt, pepper, bay leaf if you have one, and a little oil

Exact step-by-step method

1. Preparation without much knife work: Peel and chop the onion. Peel the carrots, then simply grate them on a regular hand grater, using the large holes. Because the carrot is grated into thin pieces, it cooks extremely quickly, in 10 minutes instead of half an hour. Rinse the lentils in a sieve, of course.
2. Sautéing: Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pot. Add the onion and grated carrot. Sauté them together for about 4 minutes. The carrot will release a lovely yellow color and become soft.
3. Combining: Add the rinsed lentils, bay leaf, a little pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot. Pour in the hot water or stock. Use enough liquid so everything is well covered, about two fingers above the ingredients.
4. Cooking: When the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the lentils are completely soft and start to break down.
5. Trick for thickness: If you want the stew to be thicker and creamier, take a regular fork or potato masher and press directly in the pot a few times to mash part of the lentils and carrot against the bottom. The soup will thicken instantly on its own, without any flour.
6. The finishing touch: Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf and squeeze the juice of half a lemon into the stew. This acidity balances the dish completely and gives it the right freshness. Stir and enjoy.

If you want more easy ideas without meat, this one gives you 8 fresh lunches ready fast:

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Red Lentils, the Little Hero of Quick Cooking

There you go, no more excuses that you do not have the time, knowledge or money for a proper and healthy meal. As you can see, red lentils really are the queen of quick cooking, and they can turn almost anyone into a confident home cook.

Which recipe will you try first? Let me know in the comments!