Lentils with vegetables is an excellent choice for those seeking a healthy meal, packed with nutrients and delicious flavor. This combination of legumes and vegetables is an endless source of health benefits, in addition to being an economical and easy-to-prepare option. Furthermore, this recipe is ideal for those of us who need to pack our meals, as it tastes even better when prepared in advance.
Legumes are a fundamental food in our diet, especially if we follow a Mediterranean diet. Moreover, they are incredibly versatile. While we often associate them with hearty and calorie-dense dishes, such as stews, we can actually prepare a wide variety of recipes with legumes. Just like this light and healthy lentil stew with vegetables, we can also make salads, like this lentil salad with prawns.
Lentils with Vegetables Recipe
This recipe is prepared just like any other lentil stew, but without the addition of meat, making it even simpler. We start by making a sofrito with the vegetables, ensuring that we consider the cooking times of each vegetable and incorporate them into the sofrito accordingly.
For our lentils with vegetables, we rely on classic ingredients such as onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini. However, feel free to incorporate as many vegetables as you like or substitute them with your preferred ones.
Simply chop the vegetables, make a sofrito with them, add some spices, and cook them together with the lentils. For cooking, we use vegetable broth and water. Cook until the lentils are tender, and voila, our fantastic and light recipe is ready.
Let’s go through the step-by-step process:
Recipe for Lentils with Vegetables
Ingredients
- 350 g lentils
- 2 carrots
- 1 bell pepper
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 zucchini
- 500 ml vegetable broth
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- We'll start the day before by soaking the lentils. Although it's true that this legume doesn't require it like others do, it's still a good idea to soak them. If you choose not to, you'll just need to cook them for a few more minutes.
- The next day, when we're ready to start our recipe, the first thing to do is to prepare the ingredients. We're going to peel and chop the vegetables into small cubes. Set them aside.
- In the pot where we'll cook the lentils, add a drizzle of olive oil. Once it's hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat. When the onion turns translucent, add the bell pepper and carrots. Cook together for another 5-10 minutes.
- Now, add the tomatoes and zucchini, ground cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Once the tomatoes have reduced, add the paprika and mix well. Cook for a minute, being careful not to burn the paprika.
- With the sauté ready, add the lentils and mix. Add the vegetable broth and, if needed, add more liquid to cover the lentils with water. Bring to a boil and let them simmer over medium-low heat for about 40-45 minutes, or until they are tender.
Health Benefits of Lentils with Vegetables
As mentioned earlier, this recipe is not only light but also incredibly healthy, providing us with a plethora of nutrients, vitamins, and health benefits. The combination of lentils and vegetables creates a dish rich in essential nutrients, such as plant-based proteins, fiber, iron, zinc, B vitamins, which, when combined with vegetables, aid in their better absorption by our bodies.
Another significant benefit of this recipe is that it helps maintain a healthy weight. It is a low-fat and low-calorie dish, yet it is nutritious and satiating, which can help control hunger and maintain a healthy weight.
Promotes heart health: Lentils are low in saturated fats and cholesterol but high in fiber, folic acid, and potassium, making them beneficial for cardiovascular health. Moreover, legumes have been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels, thus lowering the risk of heart diseases.
Lentils with vegetables is a perfect combination for a healthy and delicious meal. This dish is not only rich in essential nutrients but also offers a wide range of health benefits. With its high content of plant-based proteins, fiber, and vitamins, lentils with vegetables can help maintain a healthy weight, take care of your heart, and regulate blood sugar levels. Don’t wait any longer and try this lentil with vegetable recipe!
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