Budget Basics: Easy Lentils
Starting to meal prep for the week? I usually like to make a pot of beans on Sunday to lighten the cooking load through the week. Lentils are an easy and tasty way of stretching out your budget and this particular recipe can be repurposed easily into soup if you have leftovers. I find that this recipe gets better the day after. I keep the ingredients simple so you can pair this with just about anything. But its good enough to fly solo as a meal. This version is fully vegetarian and it can be served warm or cold. Enjoy!
Ingredients
200 grams/one Cup of dried lentils
two Tablespoons olive oil
one onion, chopped
one stick of celery chopped, just the stalk
one carrot, peeled and chopped
one bouillon cube
500 ml/ 2 1/4 Cups water
bay leaf (optional)
Directions
Rinse out the lentils in a colander, and pick out any that are shriveled or any small stones that may be mixed in. Set aside. In a small pot add the olive oil, chopped onion, celery and carrot and heat covered over medium heat for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once the vegetables soften and start to brown, add the lentils and the bay leaf if using. Mix through for about a minute. Add the water and bouillon cube and boil at medium high for about 25 minutes and then lower the heat to continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it and give it the occasional stir. The water will boil down. Don’t let the lentils dry out, they will burn! Lower the heat to low once half the liquid is evaporated. Once the lentils are doubled in size and softened they are ready to serve. Give the lentils a taste. You may want to add some salt or pepper, but if you use a bouillon cube, usually the seasoning is more than enough. This keeps in the fridge for about 2-4 days.