From an ancient secret of longevity to the “royal food” of modern world: Lentils – Top 3 Perfect Recipes

28.04.2026

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF LENTILS. Lentils are one of the oldest health foods in the world. The first appeared in the human diet was approximately 11,000 years ago in the Middle East. At that time, lentils served as a substitute for meat, bread, potatoes, and many types of porridge. Let’s find out why interest in this crop is growing more and more these days. Undoubtedly, lentils are a healthy choice.

Key benefits:

• High content of B vitamins and bioactive elements (iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus), which are essential for a healthy heart;
• They are rich in protein. There are 18–25 g per 100 g of dried lentils, which is comparable to the protein content of some types of meat. This makes lentils an ideal alternative source of protein;
• They are an excellent source of fibre, which is particularly beneficial for digestion. The high fibre content in lentils and, consequently, their low glycaemic index slow down the breakdown of carbohydrates and help maintain normal blood sugar levels. This is why dishes made from this crop are recommended as a preventive measure against diabetes.

After all, it is a low-calorie food, as it contains very little fat. It keeps you feeling full for a long time despite being low in calories (100 g contains just 110–120 kcal). That is why nutritionists recommend lentils.

PERFECT RECIPES for lentils dishes. There are several varieties of lentils in the world – red, yellow, brown, green and black. The most popular are red (orange) and green. How can you use lentils to make a healthy, tasty and delicious dish?

Red lentils with vegetables.

Prepare the vegetables. Finely chopped carrots, onions and peppers should be gently fried over a medium heat until they are half-cooked, tender and golden. You can add a skinless tomato here. A saucepan is ideal for this. You can also add 200 g of lentils to the vegetables. Pour in 500 ml of water, and add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, cover it and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. The lentils should then be soft. You can adjust the consistency of the dish by allowing any extra moisture to steam off or, conversely, by adding more water if necessary. Finally, stir in some chopped parsley. The result is a nutritious dish with a delicate texture.

Green lentils with spinach.

Cover the lentils with water in a 1:3 ratio and boil for 20–30 minutes, adding salt. During cooking, you can add Middle Eastern spices, such as star anise. Separately, sauté 80–100 g of spinach leaves in 50 g of butter until soft. Salt and pepper lightly. Add the cooked lentils to the saucepan and mix everything together. This recipe makes for a perfectly balanced everyday meal!

Lentil cutlets.

Boil the potatoes (400 g), lentils (150 g) and green peas (150 g) separately. Lightly fry the finely chopped onion and ground carrot. Then add the cooked lentils to the pan and boil (fry) for another 3–5 minutes over a low heat. Combine the prepared mixture with the boiled, crushed potatoes and peas. Then blend everything into a purée, adding salt and pepper to taste. Form cutlets and roll them in your favourite coating – for example, in breadcrumbs. Add sauce to the finished dish to taste.

USEFUL ADVISES:

1. Unlike other beans and grains, lentils do not need to be soaked before cooking.
2. Don’t be afraid to uncover the pan while cooking lentils. This isn’t pilaf, so you won’t spoil the dish; on the opposite, give it a stir to allow any excess moisture to evaporate.
3. Red lentils cook faster than any other type, which is why they are often used in cream soups, porridges and even cutlets.
4. As well as water, you can use vegetable or meat bouillon when cooking lentils.
5. You can use a variety of spices. It all depends on personal taste. Lentils are great with ginger, curry powder, mixed peppers, turmeric, basil and parsley.
6. 6. Remember that oils are only safe to use up to a temperature, at which the oil starts to burn and toxic substances (the smoke point), including carcinogens, are produced! Thus, our advice is: you can use corn oil. This oil is rich in vitamins A, F, E and unsaturated fatty acids. It is also important that corn oil does not form carcinogenic substances when heated, it does not smoke, foam or burn during cooking! The temperature of its burning is 232 °C.
7. The most important rule is to not remove lentils from your diet!

Enjoy your meal and stay healthy!