A variety of frugal food from a bag of red lentils

A bag of red lentils is surprisingly versatile. I have plenty stored in my pantry as they are cheap and I can use them in a variety of ways. They also store foor years. I tend to bulk buy them from the World food aisle in the supermarket. Red lentils cook quickly and break down into a soft texture and so they are excellent for soups, curries, spreads, and even baking.

I am not putting specific recipes here, as your preference can easily be searched for, and I often just throw in what I have. This post is more about giving you ideas, and a nudge to start experimenting if you don’t use lentils in your meal plans very often. They are a cheap ingredient and full of nutrition.

Basic cooked red lentils

Cook 1 cup lentils with 3 cups water or stock for 12–20 minutes (depending what you are using them for) until they are as soft as you want. These can then be used in main meals or

• A side dish instead of rice or potatoes
• A base for grain bowls
• Filling for wraps and sandwiches (hummus)
• Added protein in sauces and soups.

A few ways to use them

Red lentil dal

This is an economical and satisfying meal. I just cook lentils with onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and sometimes some tomatoes if I have them. I eat it as it is, or serve with rice, flatbread, or roasted vegetables.

Red lentil soup

Blend cooked lentils with cooked carrots, onion, garlic, stock, and lemon juice. A creamy soup is formed without needing cream.

Red lentil hummus

Cook lentils until very soft, then blend with Tahini, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt. It makes a cheaper alternative to chickpea hummus.

Lentil mash

Cook until very soft and mash with butter or olive oil, salt and pepper, and some roasted garlic. I then use it like mash potatoes during the hunger gap when my stored potatoes have finished but my new ones aren’t ready.

Lentil curry

Simmer lentils in a sauce of onions, garlic, garam masala (or curry powder), coconut milk, and tomatoes, and serve over rice. They don’t  need to be cooked first. Any veg can be added to this. I regularly make something similar in the slow cooker in my meal plans. Sweet potato, lentil curry

Lentil Bolognese

Replace some or all of the minced meat with cooked or uncooked  red lentils. Cook with onion, carrot, celery, tomatoes, mixed or Italian herbs, and serve over pasta.

Lentil shepherd’s pie

Use cooked lentils in the filling with vegetables and gravy, topped with mashed potatoes.

Lentil chilli

Add red lentils to beans, tinned tomatoes, chilli powder, peppers, and onion, The lentils thicken the chili whilst adding protein.

Lentil sloppy joes

Cook lentils with a tangy tomato-based sauce and serve on buns.

Lentils can even be used for baking. Flatbreads, pancakes, and  breads, as well.

Red lentil flatbreads

Soak lentils for several hours, blend with water and salt, then cook like pancakes.

Savoury lentil pancakes

Blend soaked lentils with onion, herbs, spices and then pan-fry for a quick meal.

Lentil crackers

Blend cooked lentils with seasonings, spread thinly on a tray, and bake until crisp.

Lentils are freezer friendly and I sometimes cook a batch and freeze them in portions. This works out a lot cheaper than buying tins of lentils. A 1 kg bag which can still be found for 99p,  can easily become 2–3 batches of dal, make several soups, plus a large bolognese sauce for a few meals. I therefore incorporate them into my meal plans  two or three times every week to keep costs down.

I also use other coloured lentils for things like salads and burgers as they are bit firmer in texture. In the future I will write a blog explaining the differences between the colours of the lentils. What is your favourite way to use lentils?