What's your favorite way to use lentils?!

GREAT question. i like making lentil meatloaf. you just take a bunch of lentils, shredded veggies, some sort of nut butter, maybe some breadcrumbs, some seasoning, and throw it together. coat it in a tomato paste sauce. then bake it for about 40 minutes on 350. or you could do it precisely, by looking up a good recipe

i like lentil cupcakes! which you use the same batter for lentil meatloaf for. you bake it in a cupcake pan, and then you can add MASHED POTATO FROSTING! make mashed potatoes and apply them like frosting on top of the cupcakes. these also taste delicious with a spinach/cashew frosting. i make that by putting about 1/2 cup cashews, 2 cups spinach, and as much lemon as you want in the food processor. i always rinse the cashews first with a strainer, especially if they are salted. i don't think you need to soak them, i never do. and it turns out great. also, feel free to add whatever else you want. i added an apple once and it was GREAT. i bet you could add a couple other fruits and get away with it.

lentil meatballs! there are tons of recipes for this online. i usually make my own, as i do for these other things, but lentil meatballs are amazing on some pasta with cashew alfredo and a little nutritional yeast... make sure you add breadcrumbs or nut butter so the form right. you can also do it gluten free. i've taken lentils and cooked brown rice and blended them up in the food processor, added some veggies and spice, and they turned out just as great.

lentil burgers are the obvious next step. just like any legume, they make a.m.a.z.i.n.g. burgers

lentil burritos. i usually make some tortillas from scratch. which is pretty easy: http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/…
i've been digging that recipe lately. they taste so much better than store-bought. and i've been doing variations of flours. i usually use wheat flour and rice flour 1:1. i've found them easier to roll when they aren't all wheat. anyway, just cook lentils, add some citrus, add whatever spices you want - maybe cumin and chives, and place on top of a tortilla. make sure to coat the tortilla with avocado first. then maybe add some rice or grain, then add the lentils, then add some tomatoes, then add tofutti sour cream, and top it off with sriracha. best meal ever.

i like lentils on everything, everywhere, for every meal. i also cook them alone, add a little lemon, some spinach, some tomato, and eat them on top of brown rice, quinoa, or millet. ahhhh..... so easy, so good.

they go very well in soups.

i haven't even gotten to curries. lentil curries with coconut milk. wow

oh and lentil-stuffed peppers are heaven. suzieQ is right. also, lentil-stuffed onions, lentil-stuffed tomatoes. anything you can hollow out and fill up with those precious gems

lentils are a boy's best friend

Definitely look for a spice named 'sumac' so you can make this delicious Turkish soup. It's well worth it. Is there a Middle Eastern grocery store near you? Or maybe check your local health food store. Regular grocery stores might have it, but I'm doubtful.

Turkish Red Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

1. 3 tablespoons olive oil
2. 1 medium onion, finely chopped
3. 1 teaspoon paprika
4. 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
5. 1 cup red lentils, washed and picked over
6. 1.5 tablespoons tomato paste
7. 6 cups water or stock, or more if the soup thickens too much
8. 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
9. 1.5 tablespoons dried mint leaves, crumbled
10. 1 tablespoon sumac
11. 1 carrot, chopped (optional)

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and saute the onions (& carrots if you are using them) over low heat until they are light golden–about 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, cumin, the tomato paste, and hot pepper flakes; cover and cook for another 5-7b minutes.

Add the lentils and stir everything together so the tomato and the spices combine with the lentils. Add the water/stock and cover and cook till everything is mushy for about 30-40 minutes. OR use a pressure cooker and cook the lentils till they mushy.

When the lentils are cooked, use a hand blender to blend the soup is to a smooth consistency, or leave it the way it is if you do not want it like a puree. Crumble the mint leaves and add into the soup. Stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Sprinkle some of the sumac (save the rest to garnish). Stir to combine.

Ladle into bowls, serving lemon wedges/or squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh mint leaves (if available) or crushed dried mint.

http://www.ecurry.com/blog/soups-and-sal…

Soak them a few days- refresh the water a few times.

When they're soft enough to eat raw, add raw green peas, raw sweetcorn, shredded onion, cilantro, tomato and some chickpeas.
Add curry spices- chili, ginger, turmeric, garlic, cumin, coriander, fenugreek and black pepper- ( make the spices in a bowl before or pestle and mortar).
Mix gently and add the chopped herb ( cilantro) at the end. Squueze a fresh lemon into it.

It's an amazing sambar- crunchy, toasty and really tasty.
You can add roasted chickpeas to it if you want a crunchy sambar.
Also you can cook and roast half the lentils and mix them with the raw- the textures are amazing.

Spiced Lentil Soup

1/2 cup red lentils
3 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 med. onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp each of ground coriander, ground cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, black pepper, and cayenne pepper
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1 large potato, peeled and grated
2 cups vegetable stock, tomato juice, or water
1/4 tsp salt

Pour boiling water over lentils and let them soften while preparing vegetables. Drain before using.
In sauce pan, warm oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 1-2 min. until transparent. Stir in garlic, spices, drained lentils, carrot, potato, and stock. Cover and simmer over low heat until veggies are cooked, about 15 min. Stir occasionally and add a little more liquid if soup is too thick.
Add salt, taste and adjust seasoning if desired..

I love them cooked very gloppy and thick.

Prep all your ingredients ahead unless you are super fast with a knife!
Start your soup pot with some olive oil or butter on medium heat.
Add: 1 medium diced onion, 1 stalk diced celery, 2 cloves minced garlic, stir.
Add: 1 cup white rice, 1 cup lentils. Stir into the mixture and allow it all to get coated.
Add: 1 medium head of green cabbage in bite sized shreds.
Add: 2-3 regular sized carrots, peeled and coined.
Add: 1 quart of stock.
Add: salt, pepper, bay leaf, italian seasoning

Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook about 20 minutes.

Garnish with parmesan cheese.

By the way, this is also a very very super cheap meal. Can use fresh cheese, better wine, organic green salad on the side?

Lentil lasagne. Even hardened non-veggies cannot resist eating this all up:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/puy_le…

I would modify the recipe by putting a layer of green vegetables instead of one of the layers of the lentil sauce. My two sons actually love this using spinach (from the garden not frozen) when most children will not eat spinach

You can easily use red lentils instead of puy lentils unless it is a special dinner party

I use them in soups and curries and i use them as a replacement for meat in shepherds pie.

Stuffed with bread crumbs & cheese. Or else in lentil soup.

Lentil-Stuffed Peppers

Lentil burgers. Cheap, easy to make and my little girls love them.

lentil stew with pork, bitter melon and fish sauce! yummy-o !!

I cook them and eat them.

I like to throw them in the trash. Yech