Lentils are a true superfood. It has been attributed with everything from helping you lose weight to controlling diabetes or cancer, said OrganicFacts. An earthy member of the pulse family and a legumes, the tiny little circles are incredibly high in protein, iron, folate, amino acids and vitamins and minerals, said Whole Living. If you treat lentils right, it can be lip-smackingly delicious. Bonus: lentils amazingly cheap.
We won't lie to you: if you just boil lentils and eat them plain, you won't be a happy camper. However, you can prepare lentils in such a way that you'll actually enjoy them.
Here are five options showing how to make delicious lentil dishes:
1. Skillet-Popped Lentils from Lunchbox Bunch: If you want a quick snack, treat lentils like chickpeas and crisp them right up. Season them well and you can sprinkle them over salads or just eat handfuls of them as a true power snack.
2. Mujadara: Lentils Cooked with Caramelized Onions from The Mediterranean Dish: This middle eastern dish has sweet, flavorful, dark caramelized onions that balance out the earthiness of the lentils. Squeeze a bit of lemon on top for a little brightness.
3. One-Pot Creamy Lentils with Spinach, Herbs & Red Wine Vinegar from Pinch of Yum: This is a real supermeal. It's got all the healthiest ingredients tied together by cooking low and slow and adding in tons of aromatics.
4. Lentil Daal with Naan from Matters of the Belly: Perhaps the most well-known and loved lentil dish, Lentil Daal is a traditional Indian food packed with flavor that is superspicy, but not overwhelmingly so. It keeps well in the freezer too, so you can make a batch and freeze it to have quick, filling and healthy meals.
5. Sweet Potato Lentil Cakes with Lemony Avocado Sauce from Blissful Basil: These cakes are perfect to make ahead of time and eat as healthy snacks later on.
