Lentil and Cabbage Curry

  

This quick, tasty vegan dish is great for meatless Monday

Need meatless savor in a hurry? Something nutritious and comforting?

Say hello to lentil and cabbage curry. The hearty umami of lentils will tickle the taste buds of even the most confirmed carnivore.

Chew on that.

Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup

This comforting soup is dinner in a bowl

Warming food that’s simple, quick, and tasty? Bring it on!

This meaty, spicy Italian Sausage and Lentil Soup is easy enough for weeknight dinner, but flavorful enough for sharing with friends. Like, when you’re watching a big game on TV.

We hear there might be a super-big one coming up soon.

Lamb, Lentil, and Green Chile Chili

Not the usual chili

Cold and snowy? That means it’s time for chili! Spicy and hearty = warm.

But why go for the same old same old? Today we’re using lamb and lentils – two ingredients that pair extremely well. You don’t often see them in chili, but why not? Both play beautifully with spice.

This chili would make a terrific main dish for your Super Bowl party. It’s something most people won’t expect, so it can be your own personal trick play. Sounds like a touchdown in our book.

Warm Lentil Salad with Bacon

Top this bistro-style dish with poached egg for extra savor

Winter is waning in our part of the world, though spring is still snoozing. So warm salads, no?

This warm lentil salad is perfect for the season. It’s flavorful and filling without being too heavy. And it’s a double-duty dish. We like to serve it as a main course, but it could also be a starter.

You might say it’s two recipes in one. Perfect for in-between weather.

Duck, Lentil, and Kale Soup

A healthy, flavorful way to use leftover duck

Duck (whether roasted or pan seared) is seriously good stuff. So if you find yourself with leftovers, you don’t want to waste them.

And because duck has such deep flavor, even a little goes a long way. Which makes it perfect for soup.

Especially with lentils—they’re magic when combined with duck. Add some kale, and you have an exceptionally nutritious (and tasty) dish.

Best of all? Making this dish is easy as, well, duck soup.

Lentil, Rice, and Pea Salad

This healthy change-of-season dish makes a great main or side

As the weather makes its leisurely turn from chilly to warm across much of the US, our appetites are beginning to change too. We may still crave some hearty dishes, but we’re looking to lighten things up a bit.

This Lentil, Rice, and Pea Salad is perfect for the seasonal transition. Lentils and rice give comfort during the cool days that still linger on, while peas add color and a touch of spring.

This dish delivers as a meatless main course, but it also makes a tasty side. It’s vegan and gluten-free, too, so you can serve it wherever. Best of all, it’s equally good warm or chilled.

So what are you waiting for? No matter what the weather is like in your part of the world, you can make a dish that promises sunny days ahead.

Moroccan Chickpea Soup (Harira)

This traditional dish can be a starter or a meal-in-a-bowl

Harira may be Morocco’s best known soup. This Berber dish is served all over the country—and throughout much of North Africa. Every region has its own unique version. In fact, every family probably has its own unique version.

Although this soup can be enjoyed anytime, it comes into its own during Ramadan (the month of fasting during the Muslim year). In Morocco, many people follow the tradition of breaking their fast at sunset with a bowl of Harira.

Ramadan doesn’t come around until late June this year. But you don’t need to wait until then to sample this healthy and delicious soup. A warming dish like this is perfect for the cold weather many of us are experiencing in the US at the moment. Just think of it as springtime in a bowl.

Lentil and Tomato Soup

Hearty, rich—and perfect for cooler weather

Today is autumnal equinox, the first day of fall in the US. For many of us, that means cooler weather is on its way (if it hasn’t arrived already).

So goodbye summer—it’s time for heartier fare. And if you need to warm up on a chilly day, there’s nothing better than soup. I particularly like ones that feature dried legumes or pulses.

Like this great Lentil and Tomato Soup. You could serve this in small portions as a starter, but it cries out to be a meal in a bowl. Maybe pair it with some of that wonderful Beer Bread we posted about last week. Add small salad if you’re particularly hungry. And of course include a nice glass of wine (or a bottle of beer).

Bliss.

Lentil, Quinoa, and Zucchini Salad

This healthy, protein-rich vegan dish can be a main or a side

In much of the world, September brings in-between weather. Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re anticipating cooler temps, but we’re still seeing many warm (as in hot!) days. In the Southern Hemisphere, people are looking forward to warm weather, though the cold may still linger a while.

So planning meals can be a bit of a challenge, wherever you are. Warm temperatures call for something light. But that hint of chill makes you crave something with a bit of substance.

For weather like this, my go-to is a main course salad—particularly one with dried pulses or legumes. Vegetables keep it light, but pulses/legumes add a bit of oomph (not to mention protein). Mix in some quinoa, and you have a nutritional powerhouse.

Best of all, main-course salads can make a perfect “Meatless Monday” option for those who want to eat vegan or vegetarian at least one night a week. Add some bread and maybe a nice glass of wine, and you’re set—no matter what the weather gods throw at you.

Pink Dal with Swiss Chard

This Pleasantly Spicy Vegan Indian Dish is Healthy and Frugal

Lentils don’t get much love.  Which always surprises me, because they’re versatile, inexpensive, and highly tasty.  Especially in dal — an Indian dish that can be made from dried lentils, peas, or beans (pulses). Dal is a typical side dish at Indian meals, usually served with rice or bread. And there are scores of different dal recipes — today’s post is just one example.

Because dal is high in protein (about 25% by weight, comparable to meat), it’s an important nutritional source in India, where over a third of the population are vegetarians.  And since dried lentils and beans are relatively inexpensive and go a long way, dals are an exceptionally thrifty dish.

Bottom line?  Healthy, chock full of flavor, and budget friendly.  It’s (d)all good.

Tuscan Bean and Pasta Soup

This Vegan Italian Recipe Makes the Best Bean Soup

After a long, wonderful holiday season full of rich (and fattening!) food, many of us are craving healthier fare.  And with the colder weather typical of January, simple but hearty recipes sound mighty appealing.

There’s nothing quite as hearty (or simple) as recipes based on dried beans, legumes, and pulses.  These little nutritional powerhouses are great sources of protein, complex carbs, and fiber.  Because they’re one of our oldest foods (dating back over 7000 years, according to some estimates), they feature in many of the world’s cuisines, offering us a wide variety of recipes and traditions to draw from. 

Italy’s rich culinary heritage includes numerous dishes that incorporate dried legumes and pulses.  Some of my favorites are soups.  Typically, these are meal-in-a-bowl recipes that are easy to make and that deliver comforting, satisfying flavor.  Today’s recipe may be the best of the breed.

Easy Lentil Soup

Lentil Soup with Bacon and Rosemary

Lentils have exceptional ”nutritional value and health benefits”.  They are the second-highest source of vegetable protein (soy beans are first), have loads of fiber, and contain significant amounts of iron. Health.com,  Health magazine's online home, suggests they are one of the world’s five healthiest foods (also on their list are olive oil, soy, yogurt, and kimchi; yeah, that last one surprised me too).  Because lentils are protein-rich, they are favorites in countries where lots of people are vegetarians.

There are several varieties and colors of lentils.  Sometimes lentils are split to become dal.  In India (which leads the world in lentil consumption), lentils are most commonly eaten as dal.

Light-colored and red lentils predominate in the Near East and Asia.  In France, green “lentilles du Puy” are sought after.  In the United States, common brown lentils are what we usually find in the supermarket.

Biblical Portions

Lentils are also one of our oldest known foods, dating back to 8000 B.C.  They have been found in Egyptian royal tombs at Thebes.  They are mentioned several times in the Bible, most famously in the book of Genesis, when a famished Esau comes in from working the fields and sells his birthright to his younger brother Jacob in exchange for a “pottage” of lentils.

Jacob must have cooked a mean bowl of soup.

Well, so can you!