How to Enjoy Lentils- Simple & Delicious! (Only 5 Main Ingredients)

May 1, 2019 • Mains • gluten-free, plant-based, vegan • No comments

Looking for a hearty, delicious and quick meal to put together? This recipe is for you!  This lentil and veggie combination takes hardly any time at all to make, especially if you use pre-cooked lentils (I’ve found these at Trader Joe’s but I’m sure other grocery stores carry them too!). You could also add in chopped onion and another type of squash if you’d like- but I wanted to keep this recipe simple so focused on fewer ingredients, and it’s delicious the way it is! For the tomato sauce, remember to always check ingredients on products before you buy them. I personally love Victoria Organic tomato sauce because it is organic, has very few ingredients and no added sugar. When you buy any condiments or sauces look at the  sugar content- a lot of companies sneak in added sugars when it’s totally not necessary!

Ingredients

• 17 oz lentils (pre-cooked if you can find it!)
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 medium sized zucchini
• 2 cups spinach
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 3 drops liquid smoke (optional)
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Instructions

1. Prepare the veggies- chop the zucchini and bell pepper.
2. Heat a large nonstick pan on medium heat (with a drizzle of oil if needed), then add in the zucchini, bell pepper and minced garlic with a dash of black pepper, and onion powder. Cook 7-9 minutes until veggies soften.
3. At the same time cook the lentils. I like to use the 17.6 oz container of pre-steamed lentils from Trader Joe's to make my life easier. If you can't find any pre-cooked lentils, just prepare uncooked lentils according to instructions.
4. After the veggies are cooked down, mix in the cooked lentils to the large pan with the tomato sauce and cook another 4-5 minutes. (At this point also add in liquid smoke if you have it.) Then mix in the spinach and cook an additional 2 minutes until spinach wilts.
5. Add additional black pepper and salt to taste, and garnish with parsley!