This one of my favorite freezer friendly meals for a chilly day. I always have a few portions of these lentils in my freezer for a quick weeknight meal. There are so many ways to serve them– see the notes below the recipe for some of my favorite ideas! Keep in mind, I prefer a thicker lentil dish so this is less soupy but if you prefer more of a soup, just add more broth!

I hope you enjoy this perfect #MeatlessMonday meal!

Easy Lentils

Serves: 5

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 Carrots, diced
• 1 Onion, diced
• 3 Celery stalks, diced
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 3.5 oz Cooked Lentils (canned or steamed are fine too)
• 4 cups Chicken (or vegetable broth)
• 2 Bay Leaf
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Cumin
• 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/8 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Chop carrots, onion, and celery stalks (Time-saving tip: Purchase Trader Joe’s ‘Mirepoix’ blend which is pre-chopped)

2. Heat pan over medium heat (you’ll want to use a non-stick pan that has some depth to it)

3. Add 1 tsp olive oil to pan, add garlic cloves

4. Add carrots, onion, and celery, and allow to cook for 3-5 minutes until the mixture starts to brown

5. Add in lentils and chicken (or vegetable) broth

6. Add in bay leaf, salt, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and pepper

7. Stir to combine the mixture, allow the mixture to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover. Allow to cook for 30-45 minutes on low/medium heat

8. Tip: If you want your lentils to be more soup-like, cook for less time with cover on for the entire duration. If you want them to be thicker, remove the cover and allow the broth to evaporate.

9. Remove bay leaf before serving

Notes:

1. I always like to buy my lentils already steamed (from Trader Joe’s or Melissa’s brand) or canned (multiple brands sell organic canned lentils). This will save you a ton of time and the nutrition content is the same!

2. This recipe freezes VERY well. I’ve been known to double the recipe and make a huge batch so that I can freeze multiple portions. I’ll spoon out 1-1.5 cups of lentils into each Tupperware and freeze so that I have homemade freezer friendly meals ready for weeks to come (this is great so that you’re not eating the same meal over and over all week)

3. I love to serve these with some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

4. Other options for serving: Add more protein by serving grilled chicken over a bed of lentils or go meatless and cook up some chickpea pasta (I love Banza brand) and mix into your lentils!

Nutrition Facts (per 1 serving, ~1.25 Cups): 215 Calories, 2 g Fat, 36 g Carbohydrate, 13 g Fiber, 15 g Protein